as in to climb
to move or extend upward
the path ascended so steeply at one point that we had to scramble up on our hands and knees
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Recent Examples of ascend
The integrated steering system puts serious maneuverability at the pilot's fingertips, and the Super Sub can dive and ascend at angles up to 45 degrees and make turns of up to 30 degrees.
—
New Atlas, 21 Mar. 2026
James ascended for one last alley-oop dunk in the fourth before Doncic’s final 3-pointer, to show not just Durant, but the Rockets, who was king in Houston on Wednesday.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 19 Mar. 2026
The Walt Disney Company’s CEO transition is notable not just for who is ascending, but for how deliberately the company built financial stability around it by extending CFO Hugh Johnston’s contract months before a new CEO was even named.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
For the past three seasons, Carlsbad High School has been ascending the ranks of girls lacrosse.
—Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
New Atlas, 21 Mar. 2026
James ascended for one last alley-oop dunk in the fourth before Doncic’s final 3-pointer, to show not just Durant, but the Rockets, who was king in Houston on Wednesday.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 19 Mar. 2026
The Walt Disney Company’s CEO transition is notable not just for who is ascending, but for how deliberately the company built financial stability around it by extending CFO Hugh Johnston’s contract months before a new CEO was even named.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
For the past three seasons, Carlsbad High School has been ascending the ranks of girls lacrosse.
—Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascend
Verb
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In 2024, Contra Costa County investigators searched a ravine and found the ladder Matthew Muller described using to climb into a family's house weeks after the March 2015 attack on Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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And Friday’s loss pushed the Heat even further away from climbing out of the play-in tournament.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now there's another big one; the cost of nitrogen fertilizer, which often comes in the form of urea, is rising due to war.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Pisces February 19 – March 20 A fresh voice rises from within you.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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About 20% of the world's oil flows throw the strait, and Iran's ability to block the flow of tankers has roiled the global economy, sending oil prices soaring.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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It’s been more than three years since Artemis I, the only other time NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion capsule have soared.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ascend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascend. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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