1
as in dips
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 deteriorations
a change to a lower state or level
the nation's rapid descent into anarchy after the revolution
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demises
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
4
as in incursions
a sudden attack on and entrance into hostile territory
the lightning descent of the invading army on that unsuspecting border town
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in attacks
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
6
as in ancestries
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
a person of Finnish descent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in downhills
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 descents
This extra room also comes in handy on technical descents where the foot tends to smash into the front of the shoe.
—
Will Porter, Outside, 13 Sep. 2025
This three-day program moves on to teaching more advanced techniques, like left-foot braking, handling ascents and descents, and weight transfer.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2025
Human sequences depicted various runs and also ascents, descents, lifts, throws, wrestling, dances, a child crawling, and a woman pouring a bucket of water over another woman.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 May 2019
Will Porter, Outside, 13 Sep. 2025
This three-day program moves on to teaching more advanced techniques, like left-foot braking, handling ascents and descents, and weight transfer.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2025
Human sequences depicted various runs and also ascents, descents, lifts, throws, wrestling, dances, a child crawling, and a woman pouring a bucket of water over another woman.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 May 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descents
Noun
-
Some common examples include push-ups, bench presses, chest presses and dips.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
An adjacent storefront will eventually be stocked with wine, home goods and take-home versions of their dishes, such as pimento cheese and smoked catfish dips.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The mission, the fourth of 2025, would also be Starship's first flight since May 27 amid a year plagued by explosive demises for the vehicle.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
-
But a good time in enviable vacation spots is guaranteed, with ghoulish demises for many principal figures here served up like caviar on sashimi.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
European leaders strongly condemned the drone incursions and demanded new sanctions against Moscow.—
Barbara Erling,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The country has also said the UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting to discuss the drone incursions.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Democrats like Bell continue to defend Israel from progressive attacks.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Terrorists expanded their use of the internet for a wide range of activities, including planning attacks, radicalization and recruitment, propaganda dissemination, and fundraising.—
Richard Frankel,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The box covers the most popular classes and ancestries such as humans, elves, dwarves and halflings.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to Champo, apply three to four drops onto the fingertips and massage where needed.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Still, big gains can be followed by sharp reversals—so how has FFIV behaved after prior drops?—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some of those mistakes eventually cause their downfalls.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The lack of effective clock management was one of the downfalls of the Bears’ last coach, Matt Eberflus.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The simultaneous invasions by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union at the beginning of World War II in 1939 nearly led to the erasure of Poland, which went on to survive after the conflict as a Soviet satellite state until transitioning to democracy in 1989 and joining NATO a decade later.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
This time producer Brad Ingelsby tapped Mark Ruffalo as a depressed and traumatized FBI agent leading a task force investigating a series of home invasions targeting drug dens in the area.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descents. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share