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
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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 attack
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descent
The term Chicana refers to American women of Mexican descent.
—
Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
Most data used to generate cancer tumor biomarkers has come from populations largely of European descent — even though differences at the molecular level in tumors are seen in individuals with different backgrounds.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
Malick’s mother, Irene, who attended the University of Chicago, was from a family of farmers, of Irish descent.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
The head coach, whose father is Black and mother is South Korean, according to CBS, is also the first head coach of Asian descent to lead his team in the college football national title game.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for descent 
Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
Most data used to generate cancer tumor biomarkers has come from populations largely of European descent — even though differences at the molecular level in tumors are seen in individuals with different backgrounds.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
Malick’s mother, Irene, who attended the University of Chicago, was from a family of farmers, of Irish descent.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
The head coach, whose father is Black and mother is South Korean, according to CBS, is also the first head coach of Asian descent to lead his team in the college football national title game.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
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His drop has turned into a days-long news story, in part because the Ravens now have three tight ends each with one year left on their contracts: Jackson’s security blanket, Andrews; Isaiah Likely, a quickly ascending pass catcher; and perhaps the best blocking tight end of the trio, Charlie Kolar.—
Sam Cohn,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2025
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Following the press conference, the benchmark CSI 300 index climbed over 1.8%, narrowing the index’s drop this year to around 2.7%, according to LSEG data.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Based on the deterioration of the relationship, a trade — as soon as possible — would appear the preferred alternative, particularly with this latest two-game suspension to otherwise put Butler back in play for the Heat as soon as Monday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2025
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For women, especially, working could, therefore, be dangerous for them physically and could lead to the deterioration of their health: a result that could adversely affect their roles as mothers and their subsequent responsibility to raise future generations, especially boys.—
Eva Epker,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Yet the devastation that Israel inflicted on Hezbollah last year, the general degradation of Iran’s militia network, and the failure of Tehran’s strategy of using Arab fighters as a forward defense against Israel and the U.S. were decisive.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2025
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Users could still watch and download videos, but over time, this lack of updates could cause significant degradation of the app’s performance.—
Cherie Brooke Luo,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Jake walked us through some of the fallout from the demise, revealing that Apple TV+ viewers will be robbed of comedic turns from an all-star British cast that was set to include Jason Isaacs, Dawn French, Miranda Richardson, and Jamie and Natasia Demetriou.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
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Before this particular spacecraft reaches its watery demise, however, SpaceX will test a few other key objectives.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Google worked with the Israeli military in the immediate aftermath of its ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, racing to beat out Amazon to provide AI services, according to company documents obtained by the Washington Post.—
Gaby Del Valle,
The Verge,
22 Jan. 2025
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Accusations of privacy invasions Harry accuses the company's journalists and private investigators of unlawfully gaining access to his personal information over many years.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The three women lived in the home on King Road with two other women who went physically unharmed in the early-morning attack, and Chapin was Kernodle’s boyfriend and stayed over for the night.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Jan. 2025
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An even more pointed distinction comes when audio of a news report is layered over images of memorials and prayers for the victims of the mosque attack.—
Caryn James,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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With this new evidence, the research team now has a better understanding of what this society was like: a society with a deep respect for its ancestry and its leaders.—
Monica Cull,
Discover Magazine,
15 Jan. 2025
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Many Argentine people have Spanish, Italian and German ancestry.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Vonn was a member of the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2018 U.S. Olympic teams, winning three medals — including gold in the downhill in Vancouver in 2010.—
Zack Pierce,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
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But Vonn continues to hold the record among men and women World Cup wins in downhill (43) and super-G (28).—
Michelle Bruton,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near descent
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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