ascended; ascending; ascends
1
a
: to move upward
the balloon ascended
b
: to slope upward
The path ascends through the woods.
c
: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain
an ascending somatosensory pathway
2
a
: to rise from a lower level or degree
ascend to power
b
: to go back in time or in order of genealogical succession
c
: to pass from lower to higher musical notes
C – E ascending
1
: to go or move up
ascend a staircase
2
: to succeed to : occupy
ascend the throne
Synonyms
Examples of ascend in a Sentence
They watched their balloons slowly ascend into the sky.
Divers must not ascend too rapidly to the water's surface.
She believed that when she died, her soul would ascend to heaven.
Several paths ascend to the top of the mountain.
stairs ascending to the attic
John Adams ascended to the presidency in 1797.
She worked as a clerk before ascending to her current position.
Recent Examples on the Web
The President in dead, and Penn has ascended to Commander in Chief.
—
Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
In 1871, Kaiser Wilhelm ascended to the throne of a newly unified Germany.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
The vice president ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket after Biden’s disastrous performance in a June debate set into motion his withdrawing from the race.
—Bill Barrow, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
The Perseverance rover, currently ascending the western wall of Jezero Crater, captured a video of the partial eclipse, which resembled a googly eye, on September 30.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ascend 
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Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
In 1871, Kaiser Wilhelm ascended to the throne of a newly unified Germany.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
The vice president ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket after Biden’s disastrous performance in a June debate set into motion his withdrawing from the race.
—Bill Barrow, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
The Perseverance rover, currently ascending the western wall of Jezero Crater, captured a video of the partial eclipse, which resembled a googly eye, on September 30.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ascend
Dictionary Entries Near ascend
Cite this Entry
“Ascend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascend. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascend
verb
as·cend
ə-ˈsend 
Medical Definition
ascend
intransitive verb
as·cend
ə-ˈsend
: to move upward: as
a
: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain
nerve fibers that ascend to a nucleus of the brain
ascending and descending tracts
b
: to affect the extremities and especially the lower limbs first and then the central nervous system
ascending paralysis
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