as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in decline
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in refusing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in denying
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in falling
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value
his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in decreasing
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in plunging
to lead or extend downward
the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 declining
Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Mar. 2021
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.
—Fox News, 15 May 2020
During replanting, remove dead and declining portions, including old roots.
—Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 26 May 2018
The team then built mathematical models using the same data to assess how declining immunity might affect the susceptibility of the U.S. population.
—Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, 21 Mar. 2018
According to a new analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, 81 percent of the United States population is in an income bracket with flat or declining income over the last decade.
—Neil Irwin, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2016
Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2026
The grand jury had the options of handing up an indictment, declining to indict and issuing a report known as a presentment.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Hospitals blame the service cuts on high costs, labor shortages and declining birth rates, according to a 2024 report.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
An increase in heart rate means the stroke volume, or the amount of blood pumped with each beat, may be declining, causing your heart to beat more frequently to push the same volume to the muscles.
—Brad Stulberg, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
Should investors begin to anticipate a future change to the Fed's approach, longer-term rates could start declining in advance.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Theo the Jacksonville Zoo's 13-year-old capybara, was euthanized due to declining health and age-related issues.
—Beth Reese Cravey, Florida Times-Union, 26 Mar. 2026
But growth in the Houston area as a whole slowed as a result of declining international migration as well, albeit to a lesser extent than Harris County alone.
—Sam González Kelly, Houston Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
Carvalho and district officials have acknowledged a multibillion-dollar reserve but have insisted that ongoing commitments and declining revenue are on track to exhaust those reserves in about three years, unless the district adopts austerity measures.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.
—Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Mar. 2021
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.
—Fox News, 15 May 2020
During replanting, remove dead and declining portions, including old roots.
—Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 26 May 2018
The team then built mathematical models using the same data to assess how declining immunity might affect the susceptibility of the U.S. population.
—Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, 21 Mar. 2018
According to a new analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, 81 percent of the United States population is in an income bracket with flat or declining income over the last decade.
—Neil Irwin, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2016
Noun
Reports showing inflation and unemployment declining have subsequently been released, and a nominee for the Federal Reserve chairman role has since been announced.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
While the data show overall birth outcomes improving — declining rates of prematurity, low birth weight, and infant mortality — disparities are still prevalent, particularly for Black women.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2026
The grand jury had the options of handing up an indictment, declining to indict and issuing a report known as a presentment.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Hospitals blame the service cuts on high costs, labor shortages and declining birth rates, according to a 2024 report.
—Pat Maio, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
An increase in heart rate means the stroke volume, or the amount of blood pumped with each beat, may be declining, causing your heart to beat more frequently to push the same volume to the muscles.
—Brad Stulberg, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
Should investors begin to anticipate a future change to the Fed's approach, longer-term rates could start declining in advance.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Theo the Jacksonville Zoo's 13-year-old capybara, was euthanized due to declining health and age-related issues.
—Beth Reese Cravey, Florida Times-Union, 26 Mar. 2026
But growth in the Houston area as a whole slowed as a result of declining international migration as well, albeit to a lesser extent than Harris County alone.
—Sam González Kelly, Houston Chronicle, 26 Mar. 2026
Carvalho and district officials have acknowledged a multibillion-dollar reserve but have insisted that ongoing commitments and declining revenue are on track to exhaust those reserves in about three years, unless the district adopts austerity measures.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
Noun
-
Estrogen decline is linked to higher total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Microsoft saw its stock fall 23% over the first quarter, more than the 7% decline of the tech-heavy NASDAQ, marking the worst quarter for its share price since 2008.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has broadly defended his aggressive deportation campaign and blamed local officials for refusing to cooperate.—
Suryatapa Chakraborty,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Douglas said some providers fear losing positions or facing consequences for refusing to treat patients or perform actions that violate their ethical principles.—
Lucas Aulbach,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sorokin was locked in from the drop of the puck, denying Colin Blackwell on a shorthanded breakaway 10 minutes in and making a handful of other 10-bell saves on quality scoring chances in the first period alone.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Wasn’t Israel already systematically denying medical, food and fuel relief headed to Gaza?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
All of this comes at a time when the market has greater appetite for larger scale deals, despite Lauder’s falling stock price.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
First, can spores and nutrients in a solid form be mixed in a workable concrete without deteriorating it?—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The alert, issued Monday morning, warns residents in Sunriver, Camp Sherman, Sisters and La Pine to prepare for dangerous travel and rapidly deteriorating conditions once the heavy snow strikes.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The situation mirrors a recent case in Sweetwater, where hundreds of families were also displaced under similar terms, with financial incentives decreasing the longer residents wait to leave.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Higher rates can help tame inflation and allow savers to earn more interest on their accounts, while lower rates can help stimulate the economy by decreasing borrowing costs.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Continue reading … HIKING HORROR — Woman dies after plunging from 60-foot cliff at popular national park.—
,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This winter, the New York metro area also endured one of its longest stretches of extreme cold in eight to 10 years, with wind chills plunging below zero and prompting warnings for frostbite and hypothermia risk, according to meteorologists and NWS alerts.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Declining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declining. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
