1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
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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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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descend
Zoom in: The medical jet climbed to about 1,500 feet before descending at a 45-degree angle and crashing on Cottman Avenue about 3.5 miles away from the airport, according to city and federal officials.
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Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 2 Feb. 2025
Over millions of years, as rocky material descends through the boundary between the upper and lower mantle, mineral crystals are compressed and reformed into tinier grains that then regrow over time.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration responded by requiring all commercial aircraft be equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system that monitors the air for other aircraft and warns pilots to either descend or ascend if another plane is nearby.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
Revelers descended upon the famed hotel and stepped into a world of imagination and color.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for descend 
Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 2 Feb. 2025
Over millions of years, as rocky material descends through the boundary between the upper and lower mantle, mineral crystals are compressed and reformed into tinier grains that then regrow over time.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration responded by requiring all commercial aircraft be equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system that monitors the air for other aircraft and warns pilots to either descend or ascend if another plane is nearby.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
Revelers descended upon the famed hotel and stepped into a world of imagination and color.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
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Good news for green energy The cost of a utility-scale solar panels has fallen 82% since 2010, according to the the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
16 Feb. 2025
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Miami won the Supporters Shield last season after the best regular season record in MLS history, but the team fell short in the playoffs, losing in the first round to Atlanta United.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Conditions are deteriorating in a network of Syrian prisons holding terrorists of the Islamic State.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
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Forecasters warned that conditions could deteriorate quickly with little warning and suggested people park away from trees, charge electronics and be prepared to evacuate quickly if needed.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Threat level: The Arctic air is likely to send temperatures plunging to 35 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit below average for mid-February across the Upper Midwest and Plains states, with the cold barreling south and east through the end of the week.—
Andrew Freedman,
Axios,
15 Feb. 2025
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This comes as the stock has had a rough past year, plunging more than 32% over the past 12 months.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Considered one of the best bull riders of all time, Lane Frost was tragically killed in 1989 at the age of 25 after dismounting a bull at Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes,
11 Dec. 2024
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The initial assaults over the weekend involved dismounted infantry walking in neat lines across snowy fields without much apparent support from artillery or aircraft.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The daily chart of KO shows a clear bullish momentum divergence using the price lows in November 2024 and January 2025, as the RSI is sloping higher during this period.—
David Keller,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2025
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But a rear viewing angle reveals the massive rear wing creating that illusion, which sits well off the sloping line of the rear roof and glass.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Ars Technica,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This week, Simon & Schuster released That Friend, a four-hour aural performance piece about a fictional social media influencer whose personal life is crumbling just as her career as an online advice podcaster is taking off.—
Seija Rankin,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Feb. 2025
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Deciphering ancient scrolls with AI The scrolls would crumble if a researcher were to attempt to unfurl them by hand, likely destroying any trace of script.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While cases reported to the CDC by health departments dipped over the winter holidays, weekly infections have accelerated for a month straight since then.—
Alexander Tin,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2025
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Any hard-to-reach places can be cleaned with a small brush dipped in the cleaning solution if a microfiber cloth isn't doing the job.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday, dozens of freed Palestinians, all looking wan and thin in stained gray Israeli prison jumpsuits, disembarked from a white Red Cross bus.—
ISABEL DEBRE,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Jan. 2025
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Set along the Missouri River, the River Market — formerly called the River Quay, which includes the outdoor City Market — is where settlers disembarked, playing a major role in the founding of the cities of Westport and Kansas City.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
15 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near descend
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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