1
as in to refuse
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
he declined the invitation to the party she declined to participate in the soccer game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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2
as in to deny
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
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3
as in to fall
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years
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4
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death
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5
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes
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6
as in to plunge
to lead or extend downward
the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles
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1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
her sad decline from a robust athlete to an old woman with arthritis
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2
as in declination
a change to a lower state or level
the decline of the Roman Empire
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3
as in downhill
a downward slope
the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline
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4
as in demise
a loss of status
the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline
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5
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
a huge decline in the value of the artwork after its authenticity was questioned
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of decline
Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 18 Apr. 2025
While mortgage rates have been declining recently due to uncertainty surrounding the impact of Trump's tariffs on the market, an increase linked to the U.S.-China trade war is likely to make the president take a step back.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 18 Apr. 2025
Poll shows many view it as ‘an enemy’ February 24, 2025 12:51 PM
Read Next
National
Trump tariffs set to trigger ‘steep’ decline in North America trade, WTO warns
April 16, 2025 2:12 PM
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Verb
Smith and his wife Ashley declined, choosing instead to focus on their other sports assets, including the Jazz, the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club and a downtown development effort.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 18 Apr. 2025
While mortgage rates have been declining recently due to uncertainty surrounding the impact of Trump's tariffs on the market, an increase linked to the U.S.-China trade war is likely to make the president take a step back.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
Consumer beauty, entailing Covergirl, Max Factor, Rimmel and more, saw net revenue drop 8% in the three months ended Dec. 31 on the back of declines in color cosmetics and body care, which were partially offset by growth in mass fragrance.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 18 Apr. 2025
Poll shows many view it as ‘an enemy’ February 24, 2025 12:51 PM
Read Next
National
Trump tariffs set to trigger ‘steep’ decline in North America trade, WTO warns
April 16, 2025 2:12 PM
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decline
Verb
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The suit alleges that ICE agents repeatedly refused to give VML's father her location and denied him the opportunity to speak for more than a minute to VML's mother.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article Three people were arrested and accused of assaulting a taxi cab driver in Norwalk on Thursday after allegedly refusing to pay their cab fare, including one suspect whose alleged combative behavior injured a police officer.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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On Thursday, April 3, the city denied that the music festival is happening there, according to a press release translated by Rolling Stone.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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An immigration judge denied her bond request Wednesday, citing her as a flight risk and danger to the community.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And bond market yields fall by about 150 basis points (1.5 percentage points).11 The Fed Fed Chair Powell says the Fed is waiting for the softening survey data to translate into hard data before moving toward lower interest rates.—
Robert Barone,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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The one year anniversary of the album’s release, fell on the date of Billboard Women in Music Awards, where Adell commemorated the date among various women in the industry, such as Doechii.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Essence,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Israel-Turkey relations deteriorated in 2010 after Israeli naval commandos intercepted a humanitarian flotilla attempting to breach the blockade on the Gaza Strip.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The ministry said that due to the sweeping tariffs imposed by the U.S., as well as the U.S.-China trade war, the growth outlook for both the U.S. and China will deteriorate.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The number of Jesuits globally has steadily decreased since the 1960s, when there were more than 36,000.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Winds will decrease Friday night before increasing again Saturday morning.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For instance, during the 2022 inflation shock, Tesla stock plunged 73.6% compared to a 25.4% drop in the S&P 500.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
From 1804 to 1810, their incomes plunged by more than forty per cent.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Submersible visits over the years have shown an increase in its deterioration, with rust and microorganisms eating away at the ship's metal. Dives over more than a decade have shown the ship is falling apart.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
-
That could mean that rate cuts are pushed off until much later this year or even delayed until next year if that deterioration takes time to materialize.—
Colby Smith,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The changing declination also defines the daily arc that the sun takes across the sky, thereby accounting for the length of daylight.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
-
The sun's changing declination is what determines whether the sun's rays strike us at a low angle or more directly.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decline. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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