1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the order of the classroom descended into chaos when the teacher left the room
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to plunge
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
leaves slowly descended from the branches in the gentle autumn wind wait for the elevator to descend
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to dismount
to come down from something (as a vehicle)
the driver descended from the truck's cab, dreading to see what he had hit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descend
Then Griffin descends on ropes, hits the stage hard, and seems a little stunned.
—
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 21 May 2025
Riders will hear the menacing roar of a Mosasaurus just before descending the 84-foot water drop at the ride’s finale.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 20 May 2025
Thousands of lobster-seekers descend on the city to claim their share of the species each year.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
Great works aren’t always the result of the muse descending, and sometimes a career materializes by accident.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 21 May 2025
Riders will hear the menacing roar of a Mosasaurus just before descending the 84-foot water drop at the ride’s finale.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 20 May 2025
Thousands of lobster-seekers descend on the city to claim their share of the species each year.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
Great works aren’t always the result of the muse descending, and sometimes a career materializes by accident.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
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More: Stocks fall, Dow down 800 points as bonds tank amid tax debate.—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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According to Stats Perform, only one other team has scored three or fewer runs, allowed more than 30 runs, allowed 10 or more homers and committed five or more errors during a five-game stretch as the Padres have done in falling 2½ games out in the NL West.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Their mental health deteriorated, which reinforced the officer’s excuse to keep them deadlocked.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
21 May 2025
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While more durable than the original Irish linen that encased the wings when the KC Eaglet rolled out of the factory on Aug. 12, 1930, all fabrics will deteriorate over time from exposure to the sun.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
Verb
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In the meantime, however, Lake has plunged back into slashing the ranks of the workforce, with hundreds of contract employees let go for a second time over the past weekend.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
22 May 2025
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Losses get much worse when the yield tops 4.7% — with the S & P 500 plunging at an annual rate of 35.5% on average.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Verb
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One protester, who climbed up and sat on the neck of the bull, was told to dismount by a New York City police officer.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2025
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Fixed an issue where Yasuke could block with his teppo after being dismounted instead of his melee weapon.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The bucket-style hat has a wide, slightly sloping brim to keep the sun out of your eyes and is constructed with nylon and quick-drying mesh fabric interior to keep sweat at bay.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
22 May 2025
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Because of the sloping topography of Regalia’s 15.3 acres, the three-story townhomes would appear no taller than neighboring two-story homes, Mattamy Homes officials said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Old systems are crumbling under the pressure of new conditions.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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For the characters who remain, there’s a sense that the world’s well of meaning has run dry; the old institutions have crumbled, and no one is coming to save us.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
Verb
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The roll comes already dipped with soy sauce, so resist the urge to dunk each piece before taking a bite.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2025
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Before the moon dips below the western horizon around midnight local time, moongazers may also catch sight of its shadowed expanse faintly glowing — an effect known as earthshine, caused by sunlight reflected off Earth softly illuminating the moon's night side.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The office of French President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed suggestions of discord after footage emerged appearing to show his wife, Brigitte Macron, pushing him in the face before the couple disembarked from a plane in Vietnam.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
26 May 2025
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The black luxury bus pulled up to the front entrance of the Four Seasons Hotel Austin at twilight, and when Jim Irsay disembarked — cane in hand, flustered expression on his weathered face — something seemed a little off.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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