as in decisive
serving to put an end to all debate or questioning
the project's prohibitive cost was the deciding factor in its cancellation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in choosing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in determining
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 arranging
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 settling
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 deriving
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 deciding
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
The bullpen gave up the lead on the first pitch, and then three more in the deciding 10th inning.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025
Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor.
—Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican.
—Journal Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024
Several people said the job fell to Tillis to convince enough Republican colleagues to vote in favor of the bill so no one person had to be the final deciding vote.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2022
Playoff baseball is never easy. Shelby County knows that all too well following a highly-competitive deciding game against a fresh-faced St. Paul’s squad with rally blood pumping through its veins.
—Evan Dudley, al, 23 Apr. 2022
The jurors in the Rittenhouse trial were overwhelmingly White not only in the original pool of 179 prospects but also in the final deciding panel of 12, where there was only one person of color.
—Omar Jimenez, CNN, 23 Nov. 2021
Houck would be an obvious candidate to start again if the Sox are able to push this series to a fifth and deciding game.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2021
Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
In 2025, Canada canceled its popular annual showcase, after deciding that hostile policies made the risks not worth the rewards.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Minnesota went 6 for 23 from the field and logged just two assists to four turnovers in the deciding frame of a 116-105 Game 1 loss at Ball Arena.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
The hard part is deciding to do this before vested interests arrive on the moon.
—Antony Davies, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Less Decision Fatigue Around Food While some people enjoy cooking or deciding what to eat each day, others may feel overwhelmed by it.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 17 Apr. 2026
Yes, that chance might lead to you deciding this is no longer a workable union.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
But Bieber had other artists in mind when deciding who to bring to the stage.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2026
Because the hardest step in a company’s evolution isn’t learning something new but deciding what to stop or reimagine.
—Samuel Mueller, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Instead, the person must show race was the crucial and deciding factor.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
The bullpen gave up the lead on the first pitch, and then three more in the deciding 10th inning.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025
Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor.
—Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican.
—Journal Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024
Several people said the job fell to Tillis to convince enough Republican colleagues to vote in favor of the bill so no one person had to be the final deciding vote.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2022
Playoff baseball is never easy. Shelby County knows that all too well following a highly-competitive deciding game against a fresh-faced St. Paul’s squad with rally blood pumping through its veins.
—Evan Dudley, al, 23 Apr. 2022
The jurors in the Rittenhouse trial were overwhelmingly White not only in the original pool of 179 prospects but also in the final deciding panel of 12, where there was only one person of color.
—Omar Jimenez, CNN, 23 Nov. 2021
Houck would be an obvious candidate to start again if the Sox are able to push this series to a fifth and deciding game.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2021
Verb
If something feels off, pause, step away, and check the details before deciding.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
In 2025, Canada canceled its popular annual showcase, after deciding that hostile policies made the risks not worth the rewards.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Minnesota went 6 for 23 from the field and logged just two assists to four turnovers in the deciding frame of a 116-105 Game 1 loss at Ball Arena.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
The hard part is deciding to do this before vested interests arrive on the moon.
—Antony Davies, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Less Decision Fatigue Around Food While some people enjoy cooking or deciding what to eat each day, others may feel overwhelmed by it.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 17 Apr. 2026
Yes, that chance might lead to you deciding this is no longer a workable union.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
But Bieber had other artists in mind when deciding who to bring to the stage.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2026
Because the hardest step in a company’s evolution isn’t learning something new but deciding what to stop or reimagine.
—Samuel Mueller, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deciding
Adjective
-
Wyatt Johnston scored the decisive shootout goal and the Dallas Stars posted their third consecutive 50-win season with a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Deni Avdija countered with a close-range finish, and after Jordan Goodwin’s reverse layup gave Phoenix the edge in the final 30 seconds, Avdija delivered the decisive blow.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Shop sustainable swaps for earth month Making sustainable swaps this Earth Month means choosing reusable, low-waste and eco-friendly alternatives to everyday products.—
Casey DelBasso,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Students apply for it in their junior year, and are tasked with randomly choosing a decade to design head-turning fashion.—
Chris Wragge,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Running for the competitive seat in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, Feely’s race is crucial to determining the political makeup of Congress in November’s election.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
That figure will serve as Subramanian’s basis for determining damages.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But these three high school students aren't arranging bouquets in a floral shop.—
Bo Evans,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In the city center, the five-star boutique Anthology of Athens by the award-winning Elastic Architects has been arranging secluded luxury stays steps from the Acropolis since late 2024.—
Yulia Denisyuk,
Robb Report,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While this doesn't erase the debt instantly, settling for less than the full balance can stop further collection efforts and, in some cases, prevent legal action.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Shopping for designer shoes on sale doesn’t have to mean scouring the internet for vintage and secondhand styles, or settling for designs that are no longer in season.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On Thursday, a jury found Geisy Rodriguez Brito, 33, of Royal Palm Beach, guilty of human trafficking and unlawful use of a two-way communications device but not guilty of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution or witness tampering.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The very legitimacy of deriving general principles from the particulars of experience can never be established from experience without already having the principle in hand.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As in the less conclusive first season, it feels engineered to deliver the characters to happy, or relatively happy, endings, and to send viewers out not regretting their investment of time.—
Robert Lloyd,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
-
As in the less conclusive first season, it feels engineered to deliver the characters to happy, or relatively happy, endings, and to send viewers out not regretting their investment of time.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Fed is also concerned about companies opting to scale back on hiring to offset these rising costs, potentially jeopardizing the labor market.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Some are opting simply to not reenlist or to retire early.—
Tom Bowman,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deciding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deciding. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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