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
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 track ascends from No. 19 to No. 15 on the Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart, marking its best placement yet on that streaming-only list.
—
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Can Martin ascend quickly enough in his rookie season?
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2025
The Maroons ascended back to France's top tier in the summer after winning their play-off match to return after just a single season.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
The fourth-year pro has quickly ascended to elite ranks, recording five interceptions in both his second and third NFL seasons while breaking up 13 and 18 passes, respectively.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascend
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Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Can Martin ascend quickly enough in his rookie season?
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2025
The Maroons ascended back to France's top tier in the summer after winning their play-off match to return after just a single season.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
The fourth-year pro has quickly ascended to elite ranks, recording five interceptions in both his second and third NFL seasons while breaking up 13 and 18 passes, respectively.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Cite this Entry
“Ascend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascend. Accessed 4 Sep. 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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