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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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Grace began its atmospheric descent at approximately 5:18 a.m. EDT (0918 GMT; locally, 2:18 am PT).
—
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 July 2025
In the United States, people of Hispanic descent have the highest rates of MASH, followed by people of European descent.
—Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 12 July 2025
Dreams of a Breton win were short-lived, as he was caught soon after the descent, but the crowd appreciated his panache.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Fereshteh Hosseini, an Iranian actress of Afghan descent, was a natural choice for her role due to both her talent and presence.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 July 2025
In the United States, people of Hispanic descent have the highest rates of MASH, followed by people of European descent.
—Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 12 July 2025
Dreams of a Breton win were short-lived, as he was caught soon after the descent, but the crowd appreciated his panache.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Fereshteh Hosseini, an Iranian actress of Afghan descent, was a natural choice for her role due to both her talent and presence.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
-
New episodes of The Sandman drop on Netflix at 3 a.m.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
24 July 2025
-
The local decline in veteran homelessness is part of a record-breaking drop across the U.S. since 2010, when the federal government began a focused effort to end homelessness among veterans.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
The art replaces a previous one that was located on Lake Street and removed in 2018 because of deterioration.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
-
Perry confirmed the system’s deterioration at the council’s May 28 meeting.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
Noun
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Food production alone is the leading driver of deforestation, land degradation, and wildlife extinction.—
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
Similarly, some brands are also offering waterless formulas to help protect the volatile ingredient from degradation.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
Despite Jill’s obvious issues, Lowes defends her character, who, like many in the show, faces an unfortunate demise.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
For a time, according to the dominant accounts of its demise, the postwar international order largely succeeded, especially in the West.—
STACIE E. GODDARD,
Foreign Affairs,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
At least 2,400 American troops died during the invasion on Omaha Beach.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
20 July 2025
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When the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russians turned to the CSTO for assistance.—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
Noun
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The restaurant was a favorite hangout of the Gilbert Goons and the site of seven parking lot attacks, according to beating videos, interviews and police records.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
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His campaign has said Trump's online attacks often result in new campaign donors.—
Jolene Almendarez,
The Enquirer,
23 July 2025
Noun
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The researchers note, however, that more individual genome sequences would be needed to fully understand variation in ancestry during this period of Egyptian history.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
18 July 2025
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Florida, 2010-2015 Betty Brock was a mother of seven who enjoyed singing and art, long bicycle rides, organizing family photos and researching her ancestry.—
Audrey Dutton,
ProPublica,
16 July 2025
Noun
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Overall, its versatile geometry, persistence on uphills, and speed on downhills won our hearts.—
The Editors,
Outside Online,
26 June 2025
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Men’s downhill: Odermatt (605 points) leads countryman Franjo von Allmen by 83 points.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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