as in to assault
to take sudden, violent action against
the shock troops descended on the village without warning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descend (on or upon)
Verb
-
He was initially charged with trespass, but Habba dropped that charge last month and charged McIver with two counts of assaulting officers stemming from her role in the skirmish at the facility’s gate. U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa rebuked Habba’s office after moving to dismiss the charges.—
Mike Catalini,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025 -
Diddy trial recap: Ex-aide Mia says Diddy assaulted Cassie at Brad Pitt movie premiere Supporting others Thurston aims to document her journey to recovery in the hope of helping others.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
For example, if China can pin down the United States in the Taiwan Strait, Russia and Iran may seize the moment to attack their neighbors.—
Mark Melton,
National Review,
23 May 2025
-
There are several leaf spotting diseases that can attack hydrangeas.—
Janet B. Carson,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
Wolves might be about to get raided for a second time.—
Phil Hay
June 2,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
-
Though the police had raided Stonewall Inn and countless others before, the events of June 28, 1969, known as the Stonewall Riots, spearheaded a six-day uprising for LGBTQ+ rights.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Opening day attendees who didn't storm the Ministry, however, were treated to shockingly short wait times, park-goers reported.—
Mackenzie Schmidt,
People.com,
23 May 2025
-
That deficit was nothing for the Pacers, though, who immediately stormed back yet again.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
The film’s blend of humor, supernatural elements and folklore struck a chord with audiences, paving the way for further exploration of the genre.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 May 2025
-
While Townshend's post suggested an amicable split, Starkey struck a different tone in response at the time.—
Mekishana Pierre Updated,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Descend (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descend%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share