1
as in drop
the act or process of going to a lower level or altitude
the airplane began its gradual descent to the landing field
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the family patriarch's heartbreaking descent into infirmity and senility
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3
as in degradation
a change to a lower state or level
the nation's rapid descent into anarchy after the revolution
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4
as in demise
a loss of status
for throwing the game, the ballplayer underwent a huge descent in the eyes of the fans
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5
as in invasion
a sudden attack on and entrance into hostile territory
the lightning descent of the invading army on that unsuspecting border town
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6
as in assault
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the descent of the voracious locusts on the wheat fields
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7
as in ancestry
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
a person of Finnish descent
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8
as in downhill
a downward slope
on bicycle tours the ascents always seem to outnumber the descents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of descent
Aidan Lee, 23, who is of Mexican and South Korean descent, definitely stuck out in his red South Korea jersey.
—
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Against this backdrop of denial and delays, the United Nations recently called for reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent.
—Marcus Anthony Hunter, Time, 19 June 2026
The singer was raised in Florida; his father is of Irish and Scottish descent and his mother is from Puerto Rico.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 19 June 2026
Valerie Chu is of Chinese-Taiwanese descent, also first generation.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Against this backdrop of denial and delays, the United Nations recently called for reparatory justice for Africans and people of African descent.
—Marcus Anthony Hunter, Time, 19 June 2026
The singer was raised in Florida; his father is of Irish and Scottish descent and his mother is from Puerto Rico.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 19 June 2026
Valerie Chu is of Chinese-Taiwanese descent, also first generation.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
-
Mix one drop of castile soap with 16 ounces of warm water in a spray bottle.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
-
Retailers face challenges from SNAP cuts and consumer fatigue, needing to demonstrate value as price drops will be delayed for months.—
Phil Lempert,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Oslo University Hospital on June 5 said Mette-Marit had been placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant after a significant deterioration in her health that likely gave her only a year left to live without the surgery.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
That moment revealed profound psychiatric deterioration and human suffering.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The building had long-term degradation from corrosion, too.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
-
Researchers worldwide continue to struggle with issues such as low ionic conductivity, interface degradation, manufacturing complexity, and cost.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
Fans of Mays’ recall that his character on the FX gritty urban drama Snowfall, Kevin Hamilton, also suffered an accidental demise.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
-
Griffin flew sixteen people to Houston on a chartered jet to interview hundreds of Enron’s employees during that company’s demise.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
According to Holtz, Whittingham was charged with murder, first-degree assault, first-degree assault on an elderly person and home invasion.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2026
-
The virtual hysteria over the muskrat invasion resulted in Britain’s first legislation to target a non-native invasive species.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
According to Holtz, Whittingham was charged with murder, first-degree assault, first-degree assault on an elderly person and home invasion.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2026
-
Atanas Hristev, 44, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon late last month, according to court records.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
Nearly 90% of Argentines have some sort of European ancestry.—
Jenna Thompson
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
The games also provide an opportunity for children of immigrants to connect with their roots and proudly tout their ancestry.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Castle has mixed up playing on and off the ball so that his downhill, slow style could come out when needed.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The morning of the Olympic downhill race was sunny and bright.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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