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
If a step can be taken back from counting all those wins, the takeaway from an early season game should be that Randy Vásquez is clearly ascending.
—
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
As Neo has ascended, Partovi has not been afraid to call out the competition.
—Richard Nieva, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
John compared Autumn Variations to his own downtempo, plaintive 1970 album Tumbleweed Connection—and reminded him his music career should not be thought of as a constantly ascending escalator.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
In the few years that Megan Thee Stallion’s star has ascended, the Houston Hottie’s (whose real name is Megan Pete) has experienced a bevy of trials and tribulations.
—Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascend
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Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
As Neo has ascended, Partovi has not been afraid to call out the competition.
—Richard Nieva, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
John compared Autumn Variations to his own downtempo, plaintive 1970 album Tumbleweed Connection—and reminded him his music career should not be thought of as a constantly ascending escalator.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
In the few years that Megan Thee Stallion’s star has ascended, the Houston Hottie’s (whose real name is Megan Pete) has experienced a bevy of trials and tribulations.
—Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 14 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 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
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