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
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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
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
More than a moral issue, the case risks a reputational crisis that could lead to declining sales, stock volatility, leadership instability and long-term damage to shareholder value, the organizations wrote.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
Women’s boardroom participation has also been declining.
—Liz Elting, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Enrollment at traditional public schools has been declining fast over the last two decades.
—Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
American students' academic achievement was already declining when the pandemic hit.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
Many women in their late 30s have normal FSH levels but declining progesterone, a shift that standard blood panels can miss entirely.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 10 June 2026
The declining popularity of Indian equities is reflected in the MSCI index, where the country's weightage has shrunk to around 11% from its peak of nearly 20% in 2024.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 June 2026
And like all Western states, water is a paramount but declining resource, especially amid a bad water year.
—Idaho Statesman, 4 June 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
Underlying the debate is an intense competition for public school students, which has become an existential threat in an era of sharply declining enrollment, especially given the reality that school districts are funded based on enrollment.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
More than a moral issue, the case risks a reputational crisis that could lead to declining sales, stock volatility, leadership instability and long-term damage to shareholder value, the organizations wrote.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
Women’s boardroom participation has also been declining.
—Liz Elting, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Enrollment at traditional public schools has been declining fast over the last two decades.
—Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
American students' academic achievement was already declining when the pandemic hit.
—ABC News, 10 June 2026
Many women in their late 30s have normal FSH levels but declining progesterone, a shift that standard blood panels can miss entirely.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 10 June 2026
The declining popularity of Indian equities is reflected in the MSCI index, where the country's weightage has shrunk to around 11% from its peak of nearly 20% in 2024.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 June 2026
And like all Western states, water is a paramount but declining resource, especially amid a bad water year.
—Idaho Statesman, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
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
Noun
-
The findings indicate that bird-watching and similar hobbies may support overall brain health, though researchers stop short of saying the activity definitively halts cognitive decline.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
Earlier this year, a judge ordered the Bureau of Land Management to close roughly 2,000 miles of off highway vehicle trails in the western Mojave to reduce ongoing harm to the endangered desert tortoise, a keystone species of the local ecosystem whose numbers are in steep decline.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
And of course there will always be readers who balk at SF, refusing to countenance that our lived reality is saturated with it, and that the time for earnestly realistic state-of-the-nation novels may have passed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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But Campbell has a point; legally, those trying to ban the Red Raiders from the playoff, or refusing, en masse, to schedule them, could be subject to accusations of collusion.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
There’s no denying the enduring glamour of this grande dame, whose secluded locale at the tip of the Cap is as much a draw for the jet set as the intimate cabanas where Greta Garbo once retreated and the saltwater infinity pool carved into the cliffs.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
-
There’s no denying that the Sym TTLBT competes in the premium maxi-scooter segment against the likes of the Kymco AK 550i, Yamaha TMax, and the Honda Forza 750.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 13,
New Atlas,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
With little money and competitive standards falling, players started leaving Ghana earlier than before, and not always to go to Europe.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Video of the incident shows Backs being confronted and falling backward.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Many of these coupists capitalized on public discontent over deteriorating economies and security conditions to overthrow their predecessors.—
Kaitlyn Rabe,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
-
Project Jupiter has pledged $360 million for schools and local infrastructure, $50 million for an upgrade to the county’s deteriorating water utility, and $12 million annually to the county budget.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Steiger's presentation also highlighted how the district has taken measures to reduce spending, like cutting off purchasing cards and decreasing non-school spending.—
Austin Horn
June 11,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
With decreasing revenue from the gas tax and increasing costs, Behrens said that over the next decade, the state will face a $216 billion shortfall.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The dress featured a softly plunging, rounded neckline and a fluid, floor-grazing skirt.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
17 June 2026
-
Crude oil prices moved slightly higher following the comments, changing course after plunging to their first settles below $80 yesterday.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Declining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declining. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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