1
as in chooses
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration
they decided to go out for pizza after the movie was over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in determines
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute)
the judge decided that the defendant was not liable for damages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arranges
to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of
we waited for our captors to decide our fate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in settles
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute
the huge sum that they were offering decided the matter: we would sell the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in derives
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information
the commanding officer decided that the soldier was indeed telling the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decides
And while Elliott would like to see Nielsen as the next CEO, if the board decides on someone else who is equally qualified, Elliott will support that decision.
—
Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Georgia grows tired of her husband and their nightly trips to the fancy French restaurant and decides to have an affair with another man at another table (Alan Howard).
—Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
But if the team decides to abandon ship in the defensive end group, Fowler would be left looking for another team.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
In November, Taylor waived his right to a jury, requesting instead to have a court trial — one in which a judge alone hears testimony, weighs the evidence and decides on the verdict.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 9 Jan. 2026
What the Supreme Court decides in the Louisiana case will set the stage for where that trend line goes.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 8 Jan. 2026
The Rangers haven’t gone to a hearing — in which an independent arbiter decides on a player’s salary based on proposals from both sides — since 2000 when first baseman Lee Stevens and the club could not reach an agreement beforehand.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
Hassett added that tariff revenue would be only one potential funding source, noting that Congress ultimately decides how federal revenue — including taxes and tariffs — is spent through the appropriations process, according to remarks reported by USA TODAY.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Jealous and plagued by his own personal issues, Victor decides to rid himself of his masterwork, a choice that takes its toll on both Victor and the Creature and leads to an epic chase that leaves tragedy and death in its wake.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Georgia grows tired of her husband and their nightly trips to the fancy French restaurant and decides to have an affair with another man at another table (Alan Howard).
—Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
But if the team decides to abandon ship in the defensive end group, Fowler would be left looking for another team.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
In November, Taylor waived his right to a jury, requesting instead to have a court trial — one in which a judge alone hears testimony, weighs the evidence and decides on the verdict.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 9 Jan. 2026
What the Supreme Court decides in the Louisiana case will set the stage for where that trend line goes.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 8 Jan. 2026
The Rangers haven’t gone to a hearing — in which an independent arbiter decides on a player’s salary based on proposals from both sides — since 2000 when first baseman Lee Stevens and the club could not reach an agreement beforehand.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
Hassett added that tariff revenue would be only one potential funding source, noting that Congress ultimately decides how federal revenue — including taxes and tariffs — is spent through the appropriations process, according to remarks reported by USA TODAY.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Jealous and plagued by his own personal issues, Victor decides to rid himself of his masterwork, a choice that takes its toll on both Victor and the Creature and leads to an epic chase that leaves tragedy and death in its wake.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decides
Verb
-
Despite his games played-to-games missed ratio skewing too close to 50 percent, Guhle chooses to look at things in a positive light and looks to a former teammate for inspiration.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
If a player chooses not to negotiate with the Panthers, that player will be unable to sign elsewhere, unless Carolina relinquishes his rights by not offering him a tender.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The number determines the length and width of the rubber band, and numbers range between 8 (7/8-by-1/16 inch) and 117b (7 inches by 1/8 inch).—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The planet's tilt determines how much sunlight the poles receive.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The painter spends hours drawing sketches of the corpse, then chops up her body, arranges the pieces in a suitcase and buries it with the help of an old man sitting under a cypress tree.—
Amir Ahmadi Arian,
The Dial,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The main headlight projectors appear to be vertically stacked under the horizontal accent LED, which is sort of the opposite of how the gas Cullinan arranges them.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Oneohtrix Point Never’s atmospheric synthesizers pause as the weight of the moment settles on the Weeknd.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
When winter settles in and the days grow shorter, there’s something especially comforting about slowing down and staying close to home.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Given that the city’s budget derives roughly three-quarters of its annual revenue from property taxes, that dynamic is shifting more of the city’s tax burden onto homeowners.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In fact, the word alcohol derives from early distillation methods from the Arabic al-kuhul, a word for an ancient Egyptian dark eyeliner that was made using an early distillation technology in Alexandria.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Rather than applying to the lash line with a thin applicator tip, Typology opts for a spoolie wand to brush on like a mascara.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The dollar is poised for its sharpest annual retreat in eight years and investors say more declines are coming if the next Federal Reserve chief opts for deeper interest-rate cuts as expected.—
Anya Andrianova,
Fortune,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
While pros agree that granite as a whole is out, regardless of shade, designer Rebecca Ward considers brown granite to be the biggest offender color-wise.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The superintendent's proposal considers increasing class sizes for first through 12th grad to 25 students, with pre-k and kindergarten classes remaining the same.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Contrary to popular belief, Day understands the benefits of somebody else leading the offense.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
-
This success positioned NuPhy as a brand that understands both office workflows and creative production.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decides.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decides. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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