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
Still, a player ascending from top-15 or top-10-ish status in the league to a legit MVP candidate is arguably an even more difficult, more challenging and vertiginous jump than making the leap from random scrub to solid starter.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
From there, the bacteria can get into the urethra as a result of poor hygiene or improper wiping in the bathroom, then ascend into the urinary tract.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Council members declined to appoint a mayor pro tem after Bass ascended to the mayoral position.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025
As the Nuggets ascended, Golden State was gradually stripped of its parts, weakened by the inevitability of time and business.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
From there, the bacteria can get into the urethra as a result of poor hygiene or improper wiping in the bathroom, then ascend into the urinary tract.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Council members declined to appoint a mayor pro tem after Bass ascended to the mayoral position.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025
As the Nuggets ascended, Golden State was gradually stripped of its parts, weakened by the inevitability of time and business.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascend
Cite this Entry
“Ascend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascend. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share