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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in degradation
a change to a lower state or level
the nation's rapid descent into anarchy after the revolution
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in demise
a loss of status
for throwing the game, the ballplayer underwent a huge descent in the eyes of the fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the descent of the voracious locusts on the wheat fields
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in ancestry
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
a person of Finnish descent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in downhill
a downward slope
on bicycle tours the ascents always seem to outnumber the descents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of descent
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent, allegedly called emergency dispatchers to claim responsibility for the attack before pledging allegiance to the Islamic State.
—
Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
More than 50 years after the Vietnam War, over 50 percent of nail technicians in the United States are of Vietnamese descent.
—Arabelle Sicardi, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
The results could help scientists plan future Mars missions by accounting for the troublesome dust that coats rover solar panels and whips across landing sites during descent, the researchers say.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
That gang primarily preyed on business owners of Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian descent, according to the documents.
—Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
More than 50 years after the Vietnam War, over 50 percent of nail technicians in the United States are of Vietnamese descent.
—Arabelle Sicardi, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
The results could help scientists plan future Mars missions by accounting for the troublesome dust that coats rover solar panels and whips across landing sites during descent, the researchers say.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
That gang primarily preyed on business owners of Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian descent, according to the documents.
—Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
-
New additives like preservatives, flavorings and vitamins were infused into them, and they were packaged in novel ways to withstand hard helicopter drops, wet beach landings and days at the bottom of rucksacks.—
Alice Callahan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Drag performance, with its abundance of wigs, campy makeup and death drops, is ready-made for Halloween.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Whitney Portal will observe sharp deterioration in conditions with extreme danger to hikers and campers unprepared for the winter weather.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Casualties among Gaza’s police force during the two-year conflict have contributed to a deterioration in security, with looting of aid becoming commonplace.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Backcountry recreationalist may experience a rapid degradation in weather conditions, and should be prepared for winter conditions.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Past research in the Arctic has identified tens of thousands of methane seeps -- many of them linked to climate change impacts and the degradation of cryospheric caps, such as glacial ice, permafrost and gas hydrates, the authors said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As details of Prince Andrew's past correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein continue to surface, royal experts claim King Charles III is facing mounting pressure from family members to exile his brother as fear of the monarchy's demise lingers.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The mission, coming a little less than two months since the previous Starship demonstration in August, helped to further snap a run of three tests early in 2025 in which the vehicle met a premature fiery demise before completing many key objectives.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Delhi has been consistently prioritizing cold interests over all else—engaging with the junta in Myanmar, refraining from openly criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, engaging both Iran and Israel, and getting closer toward recognizing the Taliban as Afghanistan’s official government.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Ukraine remains heavily reliant on US weapons more than three-and-a-half years after Russia launched its full scale ground invasion into the country.—
Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Islamists were seen as complicit in India’s worst plane hijack in 1999 and the 2008 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, which killed several Indian citizens, including two senior diplomats.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Shannon will man larger perimeter players, but not necessarily the point of attack as often.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
His curiosity is mirrored by that of Lewis Moon, a free-spirited drifter with both Cheyenne and Choctaw ancestry, who has been contracted by the government to drop bombs on the Niaruna, in an effort to scatter the tribe.—
Maggie Doherty,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Nelson's possibly offhand claims to Cherokee ancestry, nevertheless, have been repeated in biographies without verification.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In this melancholy-comic subversion of a rags-to-riches story Karl’s empathetic musings about those less fortunate immigrants foreshadow his subsequent downhill trajectory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Poore’s business transports mountain bikers to various points along the Blue Ridge Parkway for downhill adventures along the Appalachian Mountains across western North Carolina.—
Graham Hurley,
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share