ascend vs move up

ascend and move up both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
ascend	No	No	Yes	No
move up	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, move up is a hypernym of ascend; that is, move up is a word with a broader meaning than ascend:

Other hypernyms of ascend include arise, come up, go up, lift, rise, uprise.

As verbs, ascend and move up are synonyms defined as:

ascend and move up: move to a better position in life or to a better job

Other synonyms of ascend include rise.

ascend (verb)	move up (verb)
slope upwards	move upward
travel up	move to a better position in life or to a better job
come up, of celestial bodies
go along towards (a river's) source
move to a better position in life or to a better job
appear to be moving upward, as by means of tendrils
become king or queen
go back in order of genealogical succession