1
as in drop
the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude
the airplane began its gradual descent to the landing field
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the family patriarch's heartbreaking descent into infirmity and senility
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3
as in degradation
a change to a lower state or level
the nation's rapid descent into anarchy after the revolution
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4
as in demise
a loss of status
for throwing the game, the ballplayer underwent a huge descent in the eyes of the fans
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5
as in invasion
a sudden attack on and entrance into hostile territory
the lightning descent of the invading army on that unsuspecting border town
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6
as in assault
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the descent of the voracious locusts on the wheat fields
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7
as in ancestry
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
a person of Finnish descent
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8
as in downhill
a downward slope
on bicycle tours the ascents always seem to outnumber the descents
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descent
Unlike the ancient alchemists’ guilds or modern elites, science is not secret, nor gated by family descent or social ties.
—
Micah Altman, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
In remote areas like the South Pacific, nuclear blast monitoring stations could potentially track the sonic booms to fine-tune the paths of descent.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
One of his co-workers is of Hmong descent, Craig said, and has had a lot of ICE activity in his neighborhood.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 22 Jan. 2026
Artists of Asian descent featured include Jae Hi Ahn, Eugenie Chao, Sophia Chizuco, Natsuki Takauji, and others.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Micah Altman, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
In remote areas like the South Pacific, nuclear blast monitoring stations could potentially track the sonic booms to fine-tune the paths of descent.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
One of his co-workers is of Hmong descent, Craig said, and has had a lot of ICE activity in his neighborhood.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 22 Jan. 2026
Artists of Asian descent featured include Jae Hi Ahn, Eugenie Chao, Sophia Chizuco, Natsuki Takauji, and others.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
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Gregor Gregersen, founder of precious-metals dealer Silver Bullion, said the abrupt nature of the drop suggested something a bit other than orderly profit-taking.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Continue reading … PANIC PLAYBOOK – School board members slam 'fearmongering' over immigration as attendance drops.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Cleaning Products And Chemicals Paint, fertilizer, weed killer, pool cleaners, and other temperature-sensitive chemicals should be brought indoors for the winter to prevent freezing and deterioration.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
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Motorists traveling across the area this morning, including along I-85 and I-77 through Charlotte metro and vicinity, should be prepared for sudden deterioration in visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The cold can also freeze liquids, crack containers and prompt chemical degradation.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
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Grave of the Fireflies is about the horrors and degradations of war.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The demise of the Mercedes and the investigations that followed generated reams of paperwork, which now told Dooley the rest of the story.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Since the demise of the deputy executive director, New Jersey has, by informal agreement, selected the chairman of the Port’s board.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The meeting, which officials said would be the first trilateral talks since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, comes after a US envoy met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and Washington and Kyiv agreed to postwar security guarantees.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The idea for a new Help album had been percolating since around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Martinez and another man were charged in October with assault with a deadly weapon, accused of following the agents' vehicles and initiating the collision with Exum's SUV that led to the shooting on Chicago's south side.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Pretti was shot while agents were evidently seeking to detain a man, Jose Huerta-Chuma, whom Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said had an extensive criminal record including domestic assault.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Notably, however, among the new appointees to the board were a Black man, another man whose mother is Iranian and whose father is Pakistani, and a man of Spanish ancestry whose parents were Turkish immigrants.—
Richie Zweigenhaft,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
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For Brown, and other Virgin Islanders with ancestry tied to Danish colonialism, the recent discussions over Greenland’s future have spurred heightened empathy and concern for the 57,000 inhabitants of the 836,000-square-mile island with a climate much different from their own.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Though there are a few downhill ski runs in the Appenzell region, the winter activity here is based around cross-country endeavors, and the Gonten high valley is one of the top spots.—
Jackie Caradonio,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Jan. 2026
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And in the downhill portion, skins are shed from underneath before athletes make a tricky descent on skis.—
Tom Kludt,
Vanity Fair,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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