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
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Relevance
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of descent
As many as one in 25 Americans of European descent is a carrier for cystic fibrosis, but many are not aware of their status.
—
Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
Plath, the deserted wife of fellow poet Ted Hughes, mother of two young children, died by suicide at age 30, leaving behind a collection of poems that anatomized her mental descent in scorching language that secured a permanent place in American letters.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Leading a team of correspondents across the continent is editor in chief is Julie Yapo, a seasoned journalist of Ivorian descent.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
Prevc gave his head a small shake — incidentally, the same tell as his sister — and began his descent.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
Plath, the deserted wife of fellow poet Ted Hughes, mother of two young children, died by suicide at age 30, leaving behind a collection of poems that anatomized her mental descent in scorching language that secured a permanent place in American letters.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Leading a team of correspondents across the continent is editor in chief is Julie Yapo, a seasoned journalist of Ivorian descent.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
Prevc gave his head a small shake — incidentally, the same tell as his sister — and began his descent.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
-
But gold prices have been extraordinary volatile, smashing through record highs before posting their biggest single-day drop on record last month.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Sharp drops hit Wall Street on Thursday as technology stocks fell and bitcoin plunged again to roughly half its record price set last fall.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Avalanches are rapid, massive slides of snow, ice, rock and soil that can be caused by storms, earthquakes or snowpack deterioration.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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With Amazon Web Services (AWS), advertising and logistics automation continuing to scale, Amazon’s recent weakness appears to reflect sentiment fatigue rather than a deterioration in business quality.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
To more explicitly address his concerns about environmental degradation, Lambert attached an infographic and explanatory statement next to his work.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
As a result of the degradation, there is a higher risk of metal fragments being launched into the cabin by the airbags when deployed.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Needless to say, cabin fever brings on their demise .—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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This network will undock from the orbiting lab before its demise, becoming the free-flying Axiom Station.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, EU members moved to end their dependence on Russian oil and gas.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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There’s no reason for Republicans not to accede to Democrats’ demands that ICE adopt standard law enforcement practices, including no masks, visible ID and no warrantless arrests or home invasions.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There's fear the cases are widely underreported, and the airline industry and authorities aren't aggressively tracking in-air assaults.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Surprise, surprise, JPMorgan Chase and other big banks survived this outrageous assault upon their prerogatives.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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All are of Native American ancestry and are adherents of Native American religious traditions, the lawsuit says.—
Katie Mulvaney,
The Providence Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
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Primus is how my ancestry began.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Lindsey Vonn is back at home in the United States after leaving a hospital in Italy following a devastating crash in the women's downhill that left her with a broken left leg.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
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Visualization is a huge part of racing, particularly in the speed disciplines of downhill and super-G, and a lot of competitors close their eyes and run the course on a loop in their minds, dipping and swaying with every turn, roller and jump.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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