1
as in to fall
to lead or extend downward
the pathway descends to the river bank
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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
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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
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4
as in to dismount
to come down from something (as a vehicle)
the driver descended from the truck's cab, dreading to see what he had hit
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of descend
South Korea’s constitution stipulates that the prime minister, then a descending order of Cabinet officials, can take over if the president vacates his position or is otherwise unable to carry out his duties.
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Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
Celebrity guests descended on Abu Dhabi for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, attending events from Thursday to Sunday to celebrate the closing race of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
—Mikelle Street, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024
From the second the police knock on the Drake family home’s door (on Christmas day, no less!), Vera Drake descends into a vision of unrelenting pain as the rug is pulled out from under everything Vera holds dear.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
McLaren’s comfortable 1-2 start on the grid Sunday immediately descended into chaos after its other driver, Oscar Piastri, spun around in the first corner after tangling with Max Verstappen — a crash that earned the Red Bull driver a 10-second penalty.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descend 
Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
Celebrity guests descended on Abu Dhabi for the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, attending events from Thursday to Sunday to celebrate the closing race of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
—Mikelle Street, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024
From the second the police knock on the Drake family home’s door (on Christmas day, no less!), Vera Drake descends into a vision of unrelenting pain as the rug is pulled out from under everything Vera holds dear.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
McLaren’s comfortable 1-2 start on the grid Sunday immediately descended into chaos after its other driver, Oscar Piastri, spun around in the first corner after tangling with Max Verstappen — a crash that earned the Red Bull driver a 10-second penalty.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for descend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend
Verb
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Broocks noted that the Sandy Hook lawsuit judgments could be overturned in pending appeals and got Murray to acknowledge that the Sandy Hook families' offer in The Onion bid could fall apart if that happens.CBS News, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2024
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Oxford Industries — Shares of the apparel and footwear retailer fell almost 5% after its third quarter results missed on both top and bottom lines.Hakyung Kim, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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After civil war broke out in 2011, the Syrian economy deteriorated.Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2024
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Conditions had deteriorated overnight when the roof of a nearby mine collapsed.Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The atmospheric river, a high-altitude stream of concentrated moisture, serves as the fuel, while the bomb cyclone, characterized by rapidly plunging atmospheric pressure, acts as the engine driving the system.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
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Stock plunges The conclusion of the investigation did little to soothe investors who are increasingly fed up with the company’s poor performance.David Goldman, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The footage, apparently shot by a Ukrainian drone, shows dismounted infantry attacking in columns across an open field without much apparent support from vehicles, artillery or aircraft.David Axe, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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Cyclists will be asked to dismount when crossing the bridge, passing under the overhead cover and turning around the hairpin right before the bridge.Rachel Royster, Austin American-Statesman, 19 Aug. 2024
Verb
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The pattern occurs when an asset’s 50-day moving average rises above its 200-day moving average, and analysts typically want to see the 200-day upwardly sloping as well.Nick Wells,Pia Singh, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2024
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Located roughly an hour away by car, Great Basin National Park officially earned its current status in 1986, with just over 75,000 acres of sloping hills and craggy caverns to explore.Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Oh, baby, the foundation is starting to crumble on No Good Deed.Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
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Even if the glacier's entire ice shelf were to collapse today, the resulting ice cliffs would likely not be tall enough to crumble and trigger the catastrophic chain reaction previously feared.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In a traditional Persian wedding, the bride and groom exchange honey instead of rings—dipping their little fingers into a jar, and then feeding one another.Iman Hariri-Kia, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
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Use cold-water detergent: If the temperature of your home's water regularly dips to around 60, buy detergent specially formulated for cold water.Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Police identified the man as a 39-year-old white male who had boarded the Greyhound bus in Atlanta and had just disembarked when officers arrived on the scene.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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Meanwhile, some who are set to disembark on the SpinCo boat are skeptical about the financial prospects of SpinCo, to be headed by CEO Mark Lazarus, formerly chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group.Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Descend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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