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de·clin·ing | \ di-ˈklī-niŋ 
, dē- \
, dē- \Definition of declining
: of or relating to the period during which something is deteriorating or nearing its end
her declining years
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Synonyms & Antonyms for declining
Synonyms
- bowed,
- bowing,
- declined,
- descendant
- (also descendent),
- descending,
- drooping,
- droopy,
- hanging,
- hung,
- inclining,
- nodding,
- pendulous,
- sagging,
- stooping,
- weeping
Antonyms
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Examples of declining in a Sentence
the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall
Recent Examples on the Web 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.
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Fox News, "Most of Oregon can resume limited operations, including Portland," 15 May 2020 Remove dead and declining portions back to the healthy trunks or to the ground.
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Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "Move Christmas cactus before buds form," 23 Nov. 2019 During replanting, remove dead and declining portions, including old roots.
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Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "White coating on crape myrtle is fungus," 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.
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Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, "Why so many college students are coming down with the mumps," 21 Mar. 2018 Prune away dead or declining plant portions affected by summer weather or pests.
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Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "September in the garden," 26 Aug. 2017 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.
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Neil Irwin, New York Times, "Where Did All the Growth Go?," 6 Aug. 2016
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'declining.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for declining
The first known use of declining was in 1597
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