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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descend
The officials, clad in protective hazmat suits, descended on the family’s garage where Fritz — who hopes to one day become a doctor — had set up his mini lab.
—
Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
Dozens of squad cars and law enforcement vehicles descended along what’s normally a busy roadway lined with hotels and auto businesses a few miles west of Midland’s downtown.
—Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
But there was something regal about a president descending those steps, or waving from the top of them, on foreign soil.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
As World Cup fans descend on the 16 stadiums in use for the largest-ever World Cup in history, the food in each venue is meant to evoke a sense of place.
—Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for descend
Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
Dozens of squad cars and law enforcement vehicles descended along what’s normally a busy roadway lined with hotels and auto businesses a few miles west of Midland’s downtown.
—Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
But there was something regal about a president descending those steps, or waving from the top of them, on foreign soil.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
As World Cup fans descend on the 16 stadiums in use for the largest-ever World Cup in history, the food in each venue is meant to evoke a sense of place.
—Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
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Two families in Annapolis are displaced after trees fell onto homes following Friday's thunderstorm, according to city officials.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
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Xcel Energy’s bills in Colorado continue to fall below the national average for electric rates, Isenberg added.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Her mother, however, had been deteriorating from Parkinson’s and dementia for four years.—
Wes Kilgore,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Cutting prices now could make the situation even more dire, deteriorating already disastrous profit margins.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Scene of a fatal crash and fire on Interstate Highway 280 after a vehicle plunged off the 18th Street overpass in San Francisco, June 12, 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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Severe storms and tornadoes that tore through the Midwest on June 11 left one person dead, downed trees and plunged thousands into darkness with power outages.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Ukrainian drones monitor these areas for resupply movement by small trucks, ground robots, or dismounted troops.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
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Chiles, though, did rebound with a clean beam and dismount for a 9.9500 score to get the Bruins back in it.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Obama Presidential Center, which opens to the public on Friday, on Juneteenth, hugs the north end of Jackson Park, runs alongside a lagoon, rises 225 feet at its highest, and rolls backward down Stony Island Avenue, settling into 58,000 square feet of brilliantly green sloping lawn.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
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Native to eastern North America, wild mountain laurel plants grow en masse along woodland margins, rivers and streambanks, and sloping hillsides.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
13 June 2026
Verb
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During the morning low tide, while there was still a small stretch of sand, excavators were working to pile large rip-rap boulders next to the base of the crumbling Pacifica Pier.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Cube and pan-fry firm tofu until golden, crumble into scrambles or tacos, marinate and bake, or add to curries and stir-fries.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Hosted nonfiction dipped to 23 from 26.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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The album is structured to trace the arc of a relationship, which means that the second half dips into the heartbreak we’re used to getting from Rodrigo.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Eventually, we were told to disembark and news then filtered through that the pope had been offered the King of Spain’s private plane to fly back to Rome.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Those who arrive by boat are permitted to stay for one hour only on the dunes, and disembarking with rucksacks or cool bags will not be allowed.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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