as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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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
Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Sadly, bat populations are declining rapidly in North America.
—The Conversation, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Siena Heights, founded by the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1919, is the latest in a wave of smaller private and faith-based colleges to close in Michigan amid declining enrollment and financial strain.
—CBS News, 14 May 2026
Overall, the district continues to struggle with declining enrollment and looming pressures to close schools, as well as long-term pension and retiree benefit obligations.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Others like Channel 4, Disney and Amazon hadn’t as of last summer, while Netflix was declining comment.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Backdropped by New York’s ’80s AIDS crisis, the film sees Ford’s character develop a painstaking infatuation with Jimmy, despite the latter’s declining health.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
Second, school closures are painful for communities and are only a short-run solution to balance budgets amid declining enrollment.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 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
Black Bear officials cited the program's declining participation rates and finances as the reason.
—Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Sadly, bat populations are declining rapidly in North America.
—The Conversation, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Siena Heights, founded by the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1919, is the latest in a wave of smaller private and faith-based colleges to close in Michigan amid declining enrollment and financial strain.
—CBS News, 14 May 2026
Overall, the district continues to struggle with declining enrollment and looming pressures to close schools, as well as long-term pension and retiree benefit obligations.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Others like Channel 4, Disney and Amazon hadn’t as of last summer, while Netflix was declining comment.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Backdropped by New York’s ’80s AIDS crisis, the film sees Ford’s character develop a painstaking infatuation with Jimmy, despite the latter’s declining health.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
Second, school closures are painful for communities and are only a short-run solution to balance budgets amid declining enrollment.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
Noun
-
Meanwhile, in 2023, at a time when I was exhausted from the seeming futility of constantly writing and talking about it, fascism and the decline of democracy became popular topics in the mainstream media.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
The announcement comes on the heels of the struggling burger chain reporting its fifth straight quarter of same-store sales declines and rumors of a potential take-private deal led by Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Moreover, lawmakers are engaged in budget negotiations, where the House is refusing to fund several of DeSantis’ priorities.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
Former Representative Elizabeth Holtzman, one of the co-authors, has portrayed the act as a corrective to the moral failure of refusing entry to many Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Organizations can also be barred for promoting what the agency calls delegitimization campaigns against Israel; for denying the existence of Israel as a democratic state; or for employing an officeholder who has called for a boycott of Israel.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
In March, the Eighth District Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling denying the 2024 petition.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The magnificent luminosity of the orbs announced their arrival, their glow falling unfamiliar against windowpanes, which drew the people to the street.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
The mismatch between workers and available jobs—a key barometer of labor market stress—has actually improved since that moment, falling below its pre-pandemic level.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Her family has said that her health had been deteriorating in prison, in part because she was heavily beaten during her arrest.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
Giuliani's doctor, Maria Ryan, told Fox News correspondent Danamarie McNicholl that the former mayor began feeling ill after returning from a trip to Paris, with his breathing deteriorating to the point that he was placed on a ventilator.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
As chairman, Cassidy has had several clashes with the White House over confirmations, including for Kennedy due to his support for decreasing the number of vaccines children receive.—
Gabrielle M. Etzel,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
-
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced an overall 4% decrease, and unsheltered homelessness decreasing by 22% since the 2024 count.—
Robin Epley,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The franchise stunned the NBA by trading away cornerstone Luka Dončić, plunging the roster into an immediate identity crisis.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
-
Bitcoin has crashed since hitting an all-time high in October last year, losing 40% of its value and plunging the crypto market into a brutal winter crisis.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
20 May 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 22 May. 2026.
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