descending 1 of 2

descending

2 of 2

verb

present participle of descend
1
2
3
4
as in dismounting
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 descending
Verb
The morning of the road race on September 26 brought rain, conditions that made descending far more treacherous. Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024 Large numbers of new people coming into the home and descending on piles of food and Christmas decorations easily trigger anxious dogs − and worst-case scenario, someone could get bit or your dog could eat something dangerous. Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024 The resort’s unique design starts on the 11th floor, offering panoramic ocean views, with accommodations and amenities descending gradually to the beach level, where restaurants, a pool area, and the winding pier awaits. Jennifer Lee, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 Blinken met Friday with Turkey's foreign minister following discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aiming to bring Turkey into a broader consensus to prevent Syria from descending further into chaos. Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024 Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 One is climbing, struggling with every step; the other, who is descending, moves freely and proudly. Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 Like a rock skipping across a pond, the spacecraft dips in and out of Earth’s atmosphere, slowing itself with drag and then rising with lift, until finally descending with parachutes for the splashdown. Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2024 In the photos, Grubbs is seen in leisurewear descending the steps to the house and standing in the street. Alexandria Burris, The Enquirer, 6 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descending
Verb
  • To qualify for relief, a reporting company must have a BOI reporting deadline falling within the period beginning one day before the date the specified disaster began - as indicated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – and ending 90 days after that date.
    Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
  • This morning, heavy rain is falling across San Francisco up to Sacramento – rainfall rates of 1 inch per hour are possible.
    Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • With the relationship between the two companies deteriorating, Qualcomm may have to consider using another architecture before its ALA expires in 2033.
    Jim McGregor, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Urban inequality, the housing crisis and deteriorating water access in US cities, Nature Cities.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Although the announcement sent shares plunging as much as 19% that evening, investors have come around to the company’s costly AI ambitions.
    Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Her custom gunmetal frock featured a plunging neckline and hip cutouts.
    Alex Badia, WWD, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the Longhorns running game came alive against Clemson, accounting for a season-high 292 yards, after crumbling to Georgia in the SEC championship.
    Jayna Bardahl, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The bovine material may have simply been a quicker, slightly cheaper fix for a crumbling tile floor, according to the statement.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Jeremy Strong forwent a classic suit and tie in favor of a bowed necktie, giving his tailored look the perfect dash of whimsy.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 June 2024
  • Leading stars such as Colman Domingo, Cillian Murphy, and Sterling K. Brown found interesting ways to update the classic tuxedo—whether by adding brooches, a glitzy shoe, or in Murphy's case, a chic little bowed necktie.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
Verb
  • Federal and state officials said the new operating rules for the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project that were developed over the last three years will bring greater stability to the state’s supplies in the face of worsening droughts intensified by climate change.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
  • These conditions may have more severe symptoms that are worsening your PMS.
    Wendy Wisner, Health, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Anyone who was wrongly dipping into the OT kitty for themselves or others has to be found and exiled from the high command, if not fired outright.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Temperatures are dipping again in Alaska over the next six to 10 days, with far northern reaches of the state expecting below-average temperatures and near-normal temperatures forecast for much of the rest of the Last Frontier, according to a forecast from the NWS Climate Prediction Center.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Thesaurus Entries Near descending

Cite this Entry

“Descending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descending. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on descending

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!