ascent

noun

ə-ˈsent How to pronounce ascent (audio)
Definition of ascentnext
1
as in climb
the act or an instance of rising or climbing up our plane broke through some heavy low clouds during its ascent and leveled off once we were above them

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2
as in hill
an upward slope we'd reached the final ascent of the trail to the summit

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in promotion
a raising or a state of being raised to a higher rank or position his long, gradual ascent into the ranks of management

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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 ascent The Broncos of now, by contrast, are on the ascent, a Super Bowl contender trying to cash in on the tail end of a star quarterback’s rookie contract. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Aug. 2026 The documentary, produced and distributed by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, charts Jeffrey Epstein‘s ascent, his trafficking network and his ultimate collapse. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026 What follows is an ascent shaped as much by tensions of origin, class and conflicting ambitions as by the dangers of the mountain itself. — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 Released a year before Pretty Woman, the film was a key project in Roberts’ ascent to superstardom, as the actress earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ascent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascent
  1. climb
  2. hill
  3. promotion
  4. ascension
  5. incline
  6. rise
  7. advancement
Noun
  • The climb out of there was a bit of a b----, but suck it up, buttercup.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Stage six’s partly-gravel climb up the Puerto El Bartalo will surely be too tough for him, but Saturday’s flat finish in Xeraco already seems destined to end in a Brennan victory.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of climb
Noun
  • Instead, he’s spent August anxiously watching the orange skies from his house in the northern Nevada hills through two consecutive and adjacent wild-land fires, the Bug and Hawk Fires.
    — Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
  • He was filled with ambition to see more of the country, write a spy thriller and literally climb more hills.
    — Andrea Javor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hill
Noun
  • This shift means emotional intelligence (EI) is no longer just for promotions but is becoming an essential entry requirement, as AI handles technical tasks.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • DyAnnah Butler’s promotion from diverse learning coordinator at the high school’s Washington campus to assistant principal at the district’s Alternative Optional Education Center (AOEC) was also unanimously approved by the board.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of promotion
Noun
  • Realistically, Cooper could slide in as the fifth defensive lineman as neither of the others — Cam Rice, Fatorma Mulbah and Alex Huntley — has had a similar ascension outside of Matthew Butler, another player who has shown some growth.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Chase Infiniti and Olivia Dean are two of the most notable starlets of the year in film and music, respectively, with their ascension only fueled by their excellent fashion choices.
    — Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of ascension
Noun
  • The imposing gate and incline signal that privacy is one of the adults-only resort’s strongest assets, attracting high-profile guests like Katy Perry and Sir Paul McCartney.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Pro version utilizes dual 250-W all-wheel-drive hubs to generate the torque to climb an impressive 15% hill incline.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of incline
Noun
  • The gross margin outlook was a bit lower than expected, with Kress attributing the crunch to the relentless rise in memory prices, both for the remainder of this fiscal year and for fiscal 2028.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Ariana Madix has had a meteoric rise as a host — one that landed her an Emmy nomination this year.
    — William Earl, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of rise
Noun
  • One specific area that is actively being explored is the potential of using bacteriophages, which are originally viral in nature, in conjunction with advancements in AI to help detect, track and destroy resistant bacteria forms.
    — Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The advanced weapon features AV’s 20kW-class LOCUST LWS integrated on the General Motors Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) platform–a significant advancement in mobile, frontline C-UAS capabilities.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of advancement

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ascensions
ascent
ascents
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Cite this Entry

“Ascent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascent. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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