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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in ancestries
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
a person of Finnish descent
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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
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Recent Examples of descents
From rugged descents through pine forests to flowy singletrack that rolls through meadows, there’s a trail for every ability.
—
Jen Murphy, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
The mountain biking trails at Rhebokskloof Estatein Paarl are a mix of steep climbs and thrilling descents.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
Lusti, as her superhuman friends call her, has racked up more first descents on mountains of consequence than arguably any other other woman in the last 10 years.
—Outside Online, 10 Dec. 2025
Beyond top-notch skiing, Aspen features indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks and a festive four-day Wintersköl event complete with torchlight descents on Aspen Mountain, live music, bonfires, fireworks, and snow sculptures.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2025
These in-bounds, hike-to zones offer a backcountry feel with truly hair-raising descents.
—Charles Curkin, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
People have tried ski descents from Everest in the past, but none of them have completed the run without bottled oxygen.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 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
Jen Murphy, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
The mountain biking trails at Rhebokskloof Estatein Paarl are a mix of steep climbs and thrilling descents.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
Lusti, as her superhuman friends call her, has racked up more first descents on mountains of consequence than arguably any other other woman in the last 10 years.
—Outside Online, 10 Dec. 2025
Beyond top-notch skiing, Aspen features indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks and a festive four-day Wintersköl event complete with torchlight descents on Aspen Mountain, live music, bonfires, fireworks, and snow sculptures.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2025
These in-bounds, hike-to zones offer a backcountry feel with truly hair-raising descents.
—Charles Curkin, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
People have tried ski descents from Everest in the past, but none of them have completed the run without bottled oxygen.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 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
-
The largest dips were in Wyoming, down 99%, followed by Rhode Island, down 90%, and Nevada, down 76%.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
6 Nov. 2025
-
When houses go dark and demand dips, power prices often nosedive.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 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
-
Some of these are described by a narrator and visualized as ghostly incursions from the past.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
-
There were also suspected Russian drone incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The agency was established in 2003 after the 9/11 attacks.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Ukraine's security service said that five rescue workers suffered injuries while responding to the site of ongoing attacks.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This lack of representation is problematic for people of different ancestries because genetic risk factors differ across populations.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The box covers the most popular classes and ancestries such as humans, elves, dwarves and halflings.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mix a combination of two teaspoons of cream of tartar and a few drops of lemon juice to form a paste.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Reformation Lluvia Dress As Reformation gears up for its 2026 collection drops, the store is marking down some of last year’s best-selling sweaters, dresses, shoes, and pants.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For Parisian Jews in 1941 and 1942, these thefts were compounded by a cascade of other degradations, including the loss of distinguished positions at the Sorbonne, in banking, science, and medicine, with more devastation to come.—
Christopher C. Gorham
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The soggy weather is expected to continue through Tuesday with the heaviest downfalls tapering off by midday Monday, according to the National Weather Service.—
Deborah Netburn,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Jan. 2026
-
With a resurgence happening, Schoen's downfalls are becoming more apparent.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descents. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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