1
as in resolute
fully committed to achieving a goal
only a team with a decisive attitude is going to win a state championship
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conclusive
having the power to persuade
a lawyer who knows how to construct the kind of decisive argument that sways a jury
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in definitive
serving to put an end to all debate or questioning
the decisive finding of the coroner regarding the cause of death
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decisive
But that did not translate into a decisive shift to the left nationally, which was exemplified in the 2020 Democratic primary for president when voters chose Joe Biden over more progressive contenders.
—
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 June 2025
But the words of the world have now been reinforced with decisive military action.
—New York Daily News, Twin Cities, 26 June 2025
Iran came to Russia’s aid in its war with Ukraine, playing a decisive role through supplying the model for its cheap and effective Shahed drones, which Russia has used to significant effect.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2025
There’s an actual path to decisive success, and that can change the political calculus in Washington.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 26 June 2025
But the words of the world have now been reinforced with decisive military action.
—New York Daily News, Twin Cities, 26 June 2025
Iran came to Russia’s aid in its war with Ukraine, playing a decisive role through supplying the model for its cheap and effective Shahed drones, which Russia has used to significant effect.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2025
There’s an actual path to decisive success, and that can change the political calculus in Washington.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisive
Adjective
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Like most political arguments, each stakeholder adopts a resolute adversarial position that disallows finding common ground.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 June 2025
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In statements reported by state media on Sunday, China’s top political adviser Wang Huning echoed Beijing’s position, calling for the promotion of national reunification with Taiwan and for resolute opposition to Taiwan independence.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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The series had a rather shocking ending, and in some ways, seemed pretty conclusive.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Those observations proved less conclusive than had been hoped, but during the rest of the voyage, Cook was able to map the coastland of New Zealand before sailing west to the southeastern coast of Australia—the first record of Europeans on the continent's Eastern coastline.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The following guide is the definitive travel companion for pop culture lovers, adventurers, and anyone who’s ever related to Victoria Ratliff’s (Parker Posey) refusal to live an uncomfortable life.—
Ashlee Marie Preston,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Such discrepancies in Bach’s manuscripts show that no definitive version of the Mass exists and that modern performers are free to follow their intuition.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Ter Stegen is determined to stay at Barca, where he is settled on a personal level and ready to challenge for the No 1 spot.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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That legislation collapsed when then-Sen. John McCain famously cast a thumbs-down vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is determined to avoid that outcome, sticking to the schedule and pressing ahead with voting expected by the end of the week.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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In a category full of compelling options, this is arguably the most compelling choice.—
Karl Brauer,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Beever-Jones, who has scored four goals in three England games, Grace Clinton and Michelle Agyemang are all compelling options to use from the bench and the blend of youth and experience feels right.—
Nancy Froston,
New York Times,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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The first payments from Canada's digital services tax, which was enacted last year and applies retroactively to 2022, were initially set to be collected Monday.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
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Plus one last trip to a paleontology museum to reflect on and compare what’s been learned along the way, feeling in that excitement like children again.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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President Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday that China can keep buying Iranian oil, a signal the U.S. was not intent on maximizing pressure on Iran's economy.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
24 June 2025
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Ergo, the footwear manufacturers who are intent on scaling operations using these machines aren’t doing so on a whim.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Hallucinations, when models generate convincing but false information, can mislead decision-making and create legal exposure.—
Shane Buckley,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Why the latest PayPal phishing scam is so convincing Most phishing scams try (and fail) to impersonate big companies.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisive. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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