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
Latino refers to people of Latin American and Caribbean descent, including non-Spanish speaking countries in the region, the National College Attainment Network and National Museum of the American Latino say.
—
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
More than half the population of Jordan is of Palestinian descent, and the presence of Palestinian refugees is a persistent source of instability.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
The suspect is described by police as a male around 40 years old who is of White or Middle Eastern descent, who is bald and has a medium build.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
Until then, the rocky slopes of Colorado will continue to serve as a training ground, preparing astronauts for the daunting descent to the moon.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for descent
Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025
More than half the population of Jordan is of Palestinian descent, and the presence of Palestinian refugees is a persistent source of instability.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
The suspect is described by police as a male around 40 years old who is of White or Middle Eastern descent, who is bald and has a medium build.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
Until then, the rocky slopes of Colorado will continue to serve as a training ground, preparing astronauts for the daunting descent to the moon.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 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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Initial jobless claims indicate only a minimal pickup in layoffs and/or deterioration in labor conditions at present, a positive dynamic.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The largest member of the grass family, bamboo is combustible, susceptible to deterioration and weaker in rain, raising legitimate questions about its durability, Arup’s Ho said.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That prospect creates tremendous angst among activists who worry about the degradation of storage canisters over time.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
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The research shows that the batteries generate heat under high-load conditions to counteract performance degradation, a finding intended to create more resilient energy storage systems.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Young spoke with Variety about the unarticulated rivalry that the Lost Boys have with one another, playing an adult with the mind of a child and working with a real-life sheep while staging his character’s grisly demise.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
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The atmosphere also helped play a role in the rapid demise of Hurricane Lorena off the Mexico coast, sparing that region a direct landfall.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Since Ukraine is not part of NATO, Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 did not trigger Article 5, though the United States and other member states rushed to provide military and diplomatic assistance to Kyiv.—
Matt Spetalnick,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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His father landed on the beaches of Normandy during the allied invasion in World War II, while his sister was a captain in the Navy.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bin Laden, through the al-Qaida terrorist organization, targeted the United States for nearly a decade before the 9/11 attacks in 2001, utilizing this large and expansive infrastructure.—
Richard Frankel,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
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Polish officials said 19 objects entered its airspace during a large Russian air attack on Ukraine.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Unfortunately, many of the lions bore only partial genetic markers of Barbary ancestry.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Safe Black SpaceSafe Black Space is the umbrella under which various services are offered to address people of African ancestry’s individual and community reactions to cultural and racial trauma.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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While Pakistan is widely known among mountaineers for peaks like K2, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak, its relatively untapped ski terrain creates a rare opportunity for exclusive downhill experiences.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descent. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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