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
Sunshine illuminates our morning descent toward Kandersteg.
—
Lucy Kehoe, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025
Themis aims to demonstrate a vertical landing in a low-altitude test, demonstrating stable descent, a soft touchdown and controlled fuel use.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The two quarterbacks of Polynesian descent posed with shakas up for a viral social media moment, but the words exchanged between the two meant more than clicks.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Applicants most be non-white or of Latin descent, and demonstrate financial need.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Lucy Kehoe, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025
Themis aims to demonstrate a vertical landing in a low-altitude test, demonstrating stable descent, a soft touchdown and controlled fuel use.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The two quarterbacks of Polynesian descent posed with shakas up for a viral social media moment, but the words exchanged between the two meant more than clicks.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Applicants most be non-white or of Latin descent, and demonstrate financial need.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
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As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
To remove rust, sprinkle a bit of Bar Keepers Friend or baking soda over the affected area, add a drop of water to create a paste, and gently scrub with a soft sponge.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Some of it is also related to the age and deterioration of much of the grid, which now requires rebuilding.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The deterioration in the labor market has been concentrated in payroll employment, which is the [datapoint] that is the most susceptible to demographic and immigration changes.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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According to the new study, certain forms of iron oxyhydroxide nanominerals can catalyze the degradation of organophosphate esters (OPEs), chemical additives used in plastics as flame retardants and softeners.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
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Housing materials in artistic practice are fitting for an environment that is constantly under simultaneous construction and degradation, with sea levels continuing to rise, potholes throughout the city and as our own infrastructure buckles under the weight of an ever growing population.—
Mario Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As minister of economy and the public face of unpopular government policies that ended up impoverishing the population further – including a botched monetary reform in 2021 that fueled unprecedented levels of inflation – Gil’s demise was cheered by many inside Cuba.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
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Hektoria is a relatively small glacier by Antarctic standards, and its partial demise won’t cost the planet much in terms of sea level rise, Scambos said.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In August, The Guardian said the Israeli Defense Forces' Unit 8200 had built a system in Microsoft's Azure cloud for tracking Palestinians' phone calls as part of the country's invasion of Gaza, leading Microsoft to investigate the newspaper's assertions.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Iran, Baghdad’s arch enemy during Hussein’s rule, now enjoys significant influence in Iraq – another direct result of the US invasion.—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In addition to the murder charge, Thompson faces charges of committing a terroristic act, aggravated assault, engaging in violent criminal group activity and endangering the welfare of a minor, according to the jail roster.—
Rafael Escalera Montoto,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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He is being held on a $2 million bond for a murder charge and must pay $200,000, as well as a $5,000 bond for an assault charge, to be released.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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On The Opening Of Their Newest Restaurant The father-son duo is celebrating their ancestry even more with a new establishment called 34 Restaurant & Bar, which opened fall 2024.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
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Here, the reparations bills intended ancestry to be a proxy for race to benefit black Californians.—
Andrew Quinio,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Beyond just kayaking, this could be game-changing for activities like downhill mountain biking and point-to-point hiking.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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