DESCENDING Synonyms: 171 Similar and Opposite Words

descending 1 of 2

adjective

as in bowing

bending downward or forward with descending heads the mourners made their way to the burial site

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descending

2 of 2

verb

present participle of descend

as in falling

to lead or extend downward the pathway descends to the river bank

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as in deteriorating

to become worse or of less value the order of the classroom descended into chaos when the teacher left the room

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as in plunging

to go to a lower level especially abruptly leaves slowly descended from the branches in the gentle autumn wind wait for the elevator to descend

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as in dismounting

to come down from something (as a vehicle) the driver descended from the truck's cab, dreading to see what he had hit

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of descending

Adjective

The three-part framework is, at its core, a descending order of difficulty and an ascending order of effectiveness. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 For the most part, most of them wore gowns that could fit through the revolving door at the Hotel Du Cap onto the grand descending stairway, read few came close to rivaling Skye Hankey’s boa yellow dress last year which provided an elegant challenge for exits and entrances. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 May 2026 Then, the repetitive descending melody is interrupted and restarts; in this musical rupture the trance is broken. — Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026

Verb

The winds develop when air moves from the Great Basin west toward the California coast, descending mountain slopes and becoming warmer and drier. — Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026 The drive winds through the verdant mountains of eastern Antioquia before descending into the Aburrá Valley, where Medellín stretches across the valley floor and surrounding hillsides. — Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 The tomb’s entrance passage, with narrowing walls and descending axis, creates a liminal stage to orient the body before entering the burial chamber. — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026 Flight tracking data show the helicopter left Catalina’s Pebbly Beach heliport and got about 175 feet above sea level about eight seconds into its flight before rapidly descending. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 The killer, dressed in a black hoodie and armed with what appeared to be a large kitchen knife, exited the station with the crowd, descending the stairs right behind a woman holding a small child’s hand. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026 The unrest was followed by sustained opposition to government efforts to house asylum seekers in communities across the country, with some protests also descending into violent clashes. — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 The FlyDubai flight traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel landed safely after issuing an emergency alert and abruptly descending thousands of feet (meters). — Samy Magdy, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 The lengthy opening sequence ends with the camera literally descending into one of the guy’s butts and then up into his bowels, which could be read as a metaphor for this entire project. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for descending

Adjective

James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.

— Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021

Definition of nodding

Verb

The disruption has sent transits through the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb falling sharply after mostly recovering to their pre-war levels.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
This all comes at a time when supply is falling — and falling faster than demand is recovering.

— Diana Olick, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of falling

Verb

Authorities warned against hiking this route this time of year due to deteriorating conditions and the onset of winter weather.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Malaysia on Friday ordered hundreds of schools closed in several states because of deteriorating air quality.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of deteriorating

Verb

Instead, as Israel moved closer to a historic agreement with Saudi Arabia, Hamas launched an assault that upended the region, plunging it into war.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
While her sculptural dress commanded attention with its plunging neckline and exaggerated peplum waist, her shoes provided a sleek, minimalist finish that tied the entire look together.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of plunging

Verb

The popular halftime performer known as Red Panda finished her signature seven-minute set, looked up at a crowd of fans chanting her name and flashed a smile before dismounting.

— Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
The woman told investigators Herzing had made similar threats in July, which resulted in the victim suffering minor scrapes after dismounting at a stoplight.

— Lauren Breunig, Twin Cities, 2 Dec. 2025

Definition of dismounting

Adjective

And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.

— David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.

— Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of weeping

Verb

Any normal mattress would’ve been an improvement over our current one, a sub-$300 queen-size nightmare of sloping sides and too-springy springs.

— Jaklin Romine Oct. 15, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The brush was flattened and rivulets of water ran back toward the sound, which was now miraculously some 100 yards away down a sloping bank.

— Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of sloping

Verb

The energy crisis coupled with crumbling infrastructure have sent prices of basic goods skyrocketing.

— Matt Gutman, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
The drawing, which depicts a crumbling stone arcade spanning a body of water, is being sold by Oxford, UK, auction house Mallams, where it is expected to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000 ($53,000 to $79,000).

— News Desk, Artforum, 15 Oct. 2026