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
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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
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Recent Examples of descents
These in-bounds, hike-to zones offer a backcountry feel with truly hair-raising descents.
—
Charles Curkin, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
Every year, these men and women gather on a sprawling ridgeline near Zion National Park in Utah, and proceed to see who can ride the least rideable-looking line down a mountain bigger than your last 5 descents, combined.
—Outside Online, 15 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
Grippy waterproof shoes and a good rain jacket are essential on this one for mud, streams, and steep, slippery descents.
—Madison Chapman, Outside, 17 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
Charles Curkin, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
Every year, these men and women gather on a sprawling ridgeline near Zion National Park in Utah, and proceed to see who can ride the least rideable-looking line down a mountain bigger than your last 5 descents, combined.
—Outside Online, 15 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
Grippy waterproof shoes and a good rain jacket are essential on this one for mud, streams, and steep, slippery descents.
—Madison Chapman, Outside, 17 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
-
This mountainous region is known for its lush forests, lakes and valleys – and for being a hotspot for this year’s deadly bear attacks in Japan.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a large portion of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal was destroyed during the first hours of the aerial attacks.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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
-
The Last Drop Distillers was founded by spirits industry veterans Tom Jago and James Espey in 2008, with a focus on finding and bottling the literal last drops of rare spirits from around the world.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In a country this size, airports can be a hassle, far from city centers and bogged down by long security lines, delays, and baggage drops.—
Jade Moyano,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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
-
Without Allen and his ability to stretch the field, the Bills' downfalls on defense would likely not have led to a 4-1 record.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Some of those mistakes eventually cause their downfalls.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descents. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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