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 assault
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 United Airlines flight continued its descent into Santa Ana, landing safely about 3 minutes later.
—
Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
Think jumping in place, hopping side to side, or moving through squats with a slow descent and a fast burst back up.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 15 May 2026
The final descent to the beach is steep and involves scrambling down slippery rocks, especially after rain.
—Ali Pantony, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 May 2026
Vang, meanwhile, is the daughter of Hmong refugees, and would be the first representative of Hmong descent in Congress if elected.
—Robin Epley, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
Think jumping in place, hopping side to side, or moving through squats with a slow descent and a fast burst back up.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 15 May 2026
The final descent to the beach is steep and involves scrambling down slippery rocks, especially after rain.
—Ali Pantony, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 May 2026
Vang, meanwhile, is the daughter of Hmong refugees, and would be the first representative of Hmong descent in Congress if elected.
—Robin Epley, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
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Francis took some punishment from Navarro – a few shots from a baseball bat and a drop kick with a trash can.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Daniella Segura Click the link below for the USA TODAY Network's California June primary voter guide — registration deadline, ballot drop boxes, early voting, and how to track your ballot through Election Day.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The following month, the Veterans Administration filed a report stating that the Nautilus Veterans Hospital was in a severe state of deterioration, mostly because of the dampness from the sea air, which caused the concrete’s steel rods to rust and give way.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
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The switch in alliances has coincided with the rapid deterioration of the security situation in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
Noun
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One man’s modernity is, of course, another’s degradation, and, as dinner was served, the conversation turned to such recent innovations as ghost runners, pitch clocks, and robot umps, none of them to Murray’s liking.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Critical rehabilitation work has begun on about 1 ½ miles of sanitary sewer pipe in Macomb County, Michigan, after utility crews found severe degradation in the line.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Joining me to discuss rising production costs, shifts in viewing preferences, and the demise of one of the pillars of late night television is USA TODAY TV Critic Kelly Lawler.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
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In the series finale, in which every character meets their demise, Keith owns his own security company but is strangely still physically moving cash around in an armored truck when he is gunned down in the year 2029.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Hope centers around an alien invasion from the planet Gh’ertu crash-landing in rural South Korean town, Hope Harbor.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
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His government has been repeatedly sanctioned by the West for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Not coincidentally, Netanyahu’s coalition—which dominates the Knesset with a majority of sixty-four seats, out of a hundred and twenty—has renewed its legislative assault on the court.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Castro faces multiple second-degree felony assault charges involving a weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime, a misdemeanor, according to a criminal complaint.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Similarly, modern human populations have some Neanderthal ancestry — a legacy of past interactions with that species that went extinct about 40,000 years ago.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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Without due process, everyone of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast was forced to abandon (or sell, usually at a significant loss) their homes, farms and businesses before being put in camps like Manzanar.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The morning of the Olympic downhill race was sunny and bright.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
6 May 2026
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Johnson, Shiffrin’s partner and the gold medalist in the downhill, had staked her to a narrow lead.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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