1
a
: the act of rising or mounting upward : climb
completed their ascent of the mountain
b
: an upward slope or rising grade : acclivity
followed the steep ascent to the top of the hill
c
: the degree of elevation : inclination, gradient
2
: an advance in social status or reputation : progress
their ascent from the lower class to the middle class
3
: a going back in time or upward in order of genealogical succession
Examples of ascent in a Sentence
They followed a steep ascent to the top of the hill.
our plane broke through some heavy low clouds during its ascent and leveled off once we were above them
Recent Examples on the Web
Alaïa saw a swift ascent, jumping 12 places and landing in fifth.
—
Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 23 Oct. 2024
The real challenge in the Sunshine State is that insurance regulators within are unwilling to allow market prices to reflect the on-the-ground reality, a reality that oddly signals Florida’s rather bullish ascent.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Pacific time, and the side boosters that helped fuel its fiery ascent broke away from the rocket a little more than three minutes into the flight.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
Shapiro had sealed the deal on his ascent to governor in the same auditorium, Temple University’s Liacouras Center, two years earlier during a joint appearance between President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama.
—Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ascent 
Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 23 Oct. 2024
The real challenge in the Sunshine State is that insurance regulators within are unwilling to allow market prices to reflect the on-the-ground reality, a reality that oddly signals Florida’s rather bullish ascent.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Pacific time, and the side boosters that helped fuel its fiery ascent broke away from the rocket a little more than three minutes into the flight.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
Shapiro had sealed the deal on his ascent to governor in the same auditorium, Temple University’s Liacouras Center, two years earlier during a joint appearance between President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama.
—Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ascent
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ascent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ascent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascent. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascent
noun
as·cent
ə-ˈsent 
a-
1
: the act of rising or climbing up
began their ascent of the mountain
2
: an upward slope
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