DECLINES Synonyms: 418 Similar and Opposite Words

declines 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of decline

as in refuses

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

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Relevance

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as in denies

to be unwilling to grant declined our request to hold a party

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as in falls

to go to a lower level especially abruptly new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years

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as in deteriorates

to become worse or of less value his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death

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as in decreases

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes

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as in plunges

to lead or extend downward the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles

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declines

2 of 2

noun

plural of decline

as in deteriorations

a change to a lower state or level the decline of the Roman Empire

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as in dips

a downward slope the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline

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as in demises

a loss of status the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline

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as in reductions

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of declines

Verb

Sitting at elevations between 1,250 and 1,750 feet, the vineyards are blessed with strong, hot sunlight during the day and significant nighttime temperature declines. —

Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 24 May 2026 More specifically, the authors observed that satisfaction drops most steeply during the first 10 years of a relationship, slightly recovers later, and then declines again over time. —

Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026 The investor event is expected to promote the automaker as a growth company following years of market share declines under former CEO Carlos Tavares, according to Filosa and other executives. —

Michael Wayland, CNBC, 20 May 2026 If that were to happen and the FCC declines to rescind the news distortion policy, there could then be a broader court challenge on appeal. —

Ted Johnson, Deadline, 20 May 2026 As his mobility declines, he’s been unable to extend plays to attack downfield and has appeared unwilling to take some of the contact necessary to create explosive plays. —

Mike Defabo, New York Times, 17 May 2026 As Simpson declines, the actress appears frail, diminished, stripped of poise and makeup. —

Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026 This is noteworthy because muscle naturally declines with age, so maintaining muscle mass via food and lifestyle is vital. —

Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 15 May 2026 Allegations pile up, but Child Protective Services declines to investigate and the school district continues to promote Ronnie Stoner. —

NPR, 14 May 2026

Noun

Oil prices, however, remained volatile, resuming their rally after three straight sessions of declines as investors weighed mixed messaging on Iran peace deal negotiations. —

Dylan Butts, CNBC, 22 May 2026 Schools that derive the lion’s share of their revenue from tuition are more vulnerable to enrollment declines and price competition. —

Matt Schifrin, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 By contrast, the administrative payment reforms of the 1990s were associated with the first national declines in sterilization since the 1960s. —

Kimberly Turner, The Conversation, 22 May 2026 The recent Congressional report found that while a handful of states have seen flat electricity prices or even slight declines, several watched their bills rise more than 10% last year. —

Tristan Bove, Fortune, 20 May 2026 Europe also showed notable declines in nighttime brightness, driven in part by conservation policies, energy-saving measures and efforts to reduce light pollution. —

Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 May 2026 Sales at Li Auto have been under pressure over the past 12 months, with year-on-year declines persisting across much of the period, signaling a tougher market backdrop. —

Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026 Winters and unincorporated areas experienced the steepest declines, with homelessness falling by more than 45%. —

Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026 The other four showed no significant association, though the study authors wrote that those clocks tend to be less sensitive to detecting biological declines. —

Allison Forsyth, Health, 15 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for declines

Verb

With free speech under threat in Hollywood, Poppy Liu refuses to separate her politics from her art.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 May 2026
It may be stopped because one student speaks up, one parent pays attention, one friend refuses to stay silent, one faith leader reaches out, or one community decides that preventing hate is everyone’s responsibility.

— Michael Brunker, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026