1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of descend
The smoke descends, the options narrow, this is a moment seeking its tarot,
its Devil, its Hanged Man, its Ten of Swords.
—
James Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
Hordes of people descended on candy stores and started to sweeten more of their foods at home.
—Bycatherine Offord, science.org, 31 Oct. 2024
Soon, the full blue-black shades of night descended.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024
And after the chaos Washington descended into following the 2020 election, analysts might be prudent to assume Trump wouldn’t take another loss without an intense battle.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descend 
James Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
Hordes of people descended on candy stores and started to sweeten more of their foods at home.
—Bycatherine Offord, science.org, 31 Oct. 2024
Soon, the full blue-black shades of night descended.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024
And after the chaos Washington descended into following the 2020 election, analysts might be prudent to assume Trump wouldn’t take another loss without an intense battle.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
-
Valor recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock after that as Regis fell a win short of the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
-
That’s in part because Democrats fell short in their bid to flip enough battleground districts in Southern California and the Central Valley to help the national party win a majority.Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
After all, fast-changing technology has been one of the drivers of deteriorating trust.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
-
But the recommendations were not followed, and the property continued to deteriorate.Joe Rubino, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Asia revenue, ex-Japan, plunged by 16% year-on-year in the third quarter.Sonia Heng,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
-
At the end of September, Harris was the favorite to win the election, according to Silver's forecast, but at the beginning of October, the vice president saw her chances plunge as Trump made gains in crucial battleground states.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Cyclists will be asked to dismount when crossing the bridge, passing under the overhead cover and turning around the hairpin right before the bridge.Rachel Royster, Austin American-Statesman, 19 Aug. 2024
-
After dismounting his bike, Premi paused to look up and down each side of the street the way a prison guard might scan a cellblock.Mohammad Ali, WIRED, 14 Apr. 2020
Verb
-
The tournament spans just three rounds, and the challenge hole, No. 14—a sloping dogleg par 5 with a Sunday setup that moves the tee box up 70 yards—became Thitikul’s playground.Mike Dojc, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
-
This architectural feature creates space for panoramic geometric windows that invite the natural world inside, offering stunning views of the surrounding treetops and the lake below, while the sharp angles and sloping roof-lines allow light to filter into the interior spaces.New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
The man scribbled outside the boxes on his ballot and crumbled it up.Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Variations to mix into the cooked, mashed potatoes: Freshly chopped herbs such as parsley, dill, sage and rosemary; roasted garlic; nonfat chicken broth instead of milk; favorite cheeses, shredded or crumbled.Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Her gown dipped low on the sides, for a daring look at some skin.Catherine Santino, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
-
Prior to the pandemic, Detroit's infant mortality rate dipped to 11 deaths for every 1,000 births.Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The initial decision was to hold them on board, but by 8 p.m., officials decided passengers could disembark.Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
-
At several points in the journey, the engineer stopped the train so that people could disembark to take photos and videos.Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near descend
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share