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
Slebir’s descent was so dangerous, so hallowed to the surfing community, that videos of it have been set to requiems for the souls of the dead.
—
Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Tut noted that many people of similar descent to her live in the Sacramento area.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Although overall rates have continued their descent, trans-Pacific rates have increased in the past two weeks to both New York and Los Angeles, according to Drewry.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 Sep. 2025
Bianca Saunders, a British designer of Jamaican descent, emerged in the late 2010s with a sharp reimagining of menswear that blends tailoring with fluidity.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Tut noted that many people of similar descent to her live in the Sacramento area.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Although overall rates have continued their descent, trans-Pacific rates have increased in the past two weeks to both New York and Los Angeles, according to Drewry.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 Sep. 2025
Bianca Saunders, a British designer of Jamaican descent, emerged in the late 2010s with a sharp reimagining of menswear that blends tailoring with fluidity.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descent
Noun
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According to Champo, apply three to four drops onto the fingertips and massage where needed.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
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The most severe drop was in press freedom when compared with five years ago, but the indicator for the credibility of elections was at its lowest in 30 years.—
Matthew Tostevin
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Biglari was particularly critical of the company’s store-level deterioration.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
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While StubHub stock could rise at the IPO – especially if the offering is oversubscribed – consumer backlash, regulatory pressure, competitive threats, and profitability deterioration make $STUB particularly risky.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For engineers, all this means coupling MLOps with DevOps by integrating retraining triggers, model validation steps and performance degradation alerts directly into deployment pipelines.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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High-speed charging generates substantial thermal energy, which can accelerate cell degradation, reduce the battery’s overall lifespan, and in rare cases, lead to safety issues like thermal runaway.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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At the same time, the home furnishings industry was undergoing a major shift with the rise and demise of various direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands.—
Amanda Lauren,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Like the viewers, those who worked on Chief of War had a similar reaction to the news of Nahi’s untimely demise.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Among them are Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia's growing threat to NATO's eastern flank and the war in Gaza, where Israel's offensive on Gaza City is expanding as the two leaders meet.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
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It has been reported Kozak was the only participant in the Russian Security Council meeting held on the eve of the war to oppose the full-scale invasion.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And now Google warns that Chrome is under attack, issuing an emergency update and a recommendation to upgrade all desktop browsers immediately.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Ukrainian defense forces took down the 230-foot (70 meters) antenna dish to prevent Russian forces from using it to guide attacks on its territory.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With over 300 votes and 60 comments on the Reddit post already, many internet users shared their thoughts on Rudy's unexpected ancestry.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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The artist better known to his international collectors as Móyò, has been evolving the character – a personal archetype, a spiritual sentinel, and a bridge between worlds – for over eight years, exploring his Yoruba ancestry and urban mythology.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Gateway is designed for hammering fast laps, with a gravel road climbing to the top of a ridge that provides access to the downhill singletrack.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
16 Sep. 2025
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Sanders took the approach of a speedy downhill runner compared to Jordan’s meandering style and also caught a short pass from Maiava and ran it in 74 yards for a touchdown and returned punts for USC in the second quarter.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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