ascended; ascending; ascends
1
a
: to move upward
the balloon ascended
b
: to slope upward
The path ascends through the woods.
c
: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain
an ascending somatosensory pathway
2
a
: to rise from a lower level or degree
ascend to power
b
: to go back in time or in order of genealogical succession
c
: to pass from lower to higher musical notes
C – E ascending
1
: to go or move up
ascend a staircase
2
: to succeed to : occupy
ascend the throne
Examples of ascend in a Sentence
They watched their balloons slowly ascend into the sky.
Divers must not ascend too rapidly to the water's surface.
She believed that when she died, her soul would ascend to heaven.
Several paths ascend to the top of the mountain.
stairs ascending to the attic
John Adams ascended to the presidency in 1797.
She worked as a clerk before ascending to her current position.
Recent Examples on the Web
Assefi ascended to the acting assistant attorney general role after his predecessor, Gail Slater, was terminated in February after a series of clashes with then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and their team.
—
Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 27 May 2026
Of that bunch, only the latter project fails to ascend this period.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The anchor of this anxiety is Sylvia, the last bohemian holdout in this class-ascending friend group.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
The trail to the summit ascends the mountain’s south ridge.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
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Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 27 May 2026
Of that bunch, only the latter project fails to ascend this period.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The anchor of this anxiety is Sylvia, the last bohemian holdout in this class-ascending friend group.
—Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
The trail to the summit ascends the mountain’s south ridge.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Cite this Entry
“Ascend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascend. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascend
verb
as·cend
ə-ˈsend 
Medical Definition
ascend
intransitive verb
as·cend
ə-ˈsend
: to move upward: as
a
: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain
nerve fibers that ascend to a nucleus of the brain
ascending and descending tracts
b
: to affect the extremities and especially the lower limbs first and then the central nervous system
ascending paralysis
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