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
That means Kelce can ascend to No. 1 on the list with 343 receiving yards in the playoffs.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2025
With the addition of the new dates, the 27-year-old from Sinaloa goes bicoastal, a reflection of his rapidly ascending stardom.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2025
Ever since the United States ascended to global leadership at the end of World War II, American leaders have regularly been stricken by bouts of anxiety that the country is in decline and losing ground to a rival.
—Jude Blanchette, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Climbers run a rope along the steep and slippery pathway and use the hand line when ascending or descending, Hake said.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ascend 
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Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2025
With the addition of the new dates, the 27-year-old from Sinaloa goes bicoastal, a reflection of his rapidly ascending stardom.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 13 Jan. 2025
Ever since the United States ascended to global leadership at the end of World War II, American leaders have regularly been stricken by bouts of anxiety that the country is in decline and losing ground to a rival.
—Jude Blanchette, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Climbers run a rope along the steep and slippery pathway and use the hand line when ascending or descending, Hake said.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 7 Jan. 2025
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 18 Jan. 2025.
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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