1
a
: the act of rising or mounting upward : climb
completed their ascent of the mountain
b
: an upward slope or rising grade : acclivity
followed the steep ascent to the top of the hill
c
: the degree of elevation : inclination, gradient
2
: an advance in social status or reputation : progress
their ascent from the lower class to the middle class
3
: a going back in time or upward in order of genealogical succession
Examples of ascent in a Sentence
They followed a steep ascent to the top of the hill.
our plane broke through some heavy low clouds during its ascent and leveled off once we were above them
Recent Examples on the Web
Jimmy Kimmel is momentarily pausing his ascent up Oscars host mountain (Bob Hope still sits comfortable at the top, having hosted the ceremony 19 times), handing over the mic to first-time host Conan O'Brien.
—
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The most recent Starship launch was SpaceX's Flight 7 test flight on Jan. 16, which marked the first flight of a new version of Starship, but the Ship vehicle was lost during ascent due to a propellant leak.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Take your pick of Canyon Lodge sundeck for après or a high-altitude ski climb up five ascents for the Mammoth Caldera Burn ski mountaineering (aka ski mo) event on April 19.
—Anna Fiorentino, AFAR Media, 28 Feb. 2025
On the surface, this shift has the potential to accelerate China’s ascent as a global power, potentially granting the world’s second-largest economy space to win more allies, boost its global leadership and shift global norms and rules – such as those on human rights or security – in its favor.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascent
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Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The most recent Starship launch was SpaceX's Flight 7 test flight on Jan. 16, which marked the first flight of a new version of Starship, but the Ship vehicle was lost during ascent due to a propellant leak.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Take your pick of Canyon Lodge sundeck for après or a high-altitude ski climb up five ascents for the Mammoth Caldera Burn ski mountaineering (aka ski mo) event on April 19.
—Anna Fiorentino, AFAR Media, 28 Feb. 2025
On the surface, this shift has the potential to accelerate China’s ascent as a global power, potentially granting the world’s second-largest economy space to win more allies, boost its global leadership and shift global norms and rules – such as those on human rights or security – in its favor.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascent
Articles Related to ascent
Cite this Entry
“Ascent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascent. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascent
noun
as·cent
ə-ˈsent 
a-
1
: the act of rising or climbing up
began their ascent of the mountain
2
: an upward slope
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