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
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 descend
The White House Correspondents' Dinner, an annual event that brings together top government officials and the journalists who cover them, descended into chaos on Saturday after shots rang out at the Washington Hilton.
—
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 26 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of Russian drones were descending, each the size of a Jet Ski, accompanied by more than a dozen missiles.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Over the summer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descended on the city, forcing people to stay home out of fear.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Sloan allows that the next big test for local sports arrives as the 2026 FIFA World Cup descends upon North American for a 39-day residency.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descend
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 26 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of Russian drones were descending, each the size of a Jet Ski, accompanied by more than a dozen missiles.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Over the summer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descended on the city, forcing people to stay home out of fear.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Sloan allows that the next big test for local sports arrives as the 2026 FIFA World Cup descends upon North American for a 39-day residency.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
-
His portfolio fell 44% in the dot-com crash, and sustained a 40% loss in 2008.—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Lee then came up to the plate and fell behind in the count 1-2.—
Tony Gleason,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the consequences of a destabilized Mali, compounded by the wider fallout from the Iran war, are unlikely to stop at its borders and threatens to deepen a deteriorating security crisis across one of the world’s most volatile regions.—
Ulf Laessing,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At its center is the story of a boy named Zac Brettler, who in November 2019, at the age of nineteen, plunged to his death from a balcony on the fifth floor of an upscale apartment complex a few minutes’ walk along the Thames from Tate Britain.—
Mark O’Connell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Another section of the park will plunge those who are up for it into a more thrilling experience.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Sometimes the world is spinning too fast to dismount.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The hole should have sloping sides to encourage roots to grow out wide into the surrounding soil.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The quick loss of water is even more evident in areas with banks, sloping lawns, and those with lots of hardscaping like walkways.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That order is crumbling, and many of our former strengths built on our close ties to the United States have become our weaknesses.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The top of his head drilled Bona’s chest, and the Celtics guard crumbled to the court, holding his neck.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
High school attendance also dipped.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Kuechly retired six years ago and has dipped his toes in national work, while also being the radio analyst on Carolina Panthers games.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Although these port calls are sometimes in the wee hours, passengers are still welcome to disembark and take a quick look around town.—
Karen Gardiner,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Airbus built the rover in the United Kingdom and is supplying the main structure for the lander, which will settle onto Mars and deploy ramps for the rover to disembark and begin its mission.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
