1
as in resolute
fully committed to achieving a goal
only a team with a decisive attitude is going to win a state championship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The decision marks a decisive turning point in a long preservation battle over the closed Polish Pilsen church.
Activists who want the church reopened were dismayed that the final landmark status only protects the church building and not other buildings on the property.
—
Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Few individuals have had as decisive an impact on a modern-day American political party as William F. Buckley Jr.
—Terry W. Hartle, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2025
In the decisive third set, Sabalenka double-faulted to give Gauff a break for 2-1.
Gauff led 3-1 and had break points for 4-1 but Sabalenka held and then broke for 3-all.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
The next debate, in which the top-performing candidates face off, may prove to be more decisive.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Few individuals have had as decisive an impact on a modern-day American political party as William F. Buckley Jr.
—Terry W. Hartle, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2025
In the decisive third set, Sabalenka double-faulted to give Gauff a break for 2-1.
Gauff led 3-1 and had break points for 4-1 but Sabalenka held and then broke for 3-all.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
The next debate, in which the top-performing candidates face off, may prove to be more decisive.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 5 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
-
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
-
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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Set in the working-class outskirts of L.A., Lolita follows Jesús (Alexis Vazquez), an openly gay man recently released from prison after serving a nine-year sentence for a nonviolent drug offense, who is determined to reclaim his life and reunite with his daughter.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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McCallany has a certain tough-guy menace as Harlan, but Jake Weary’s mopey son Cane isn’t a compelling enough character to lead a show.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
19 June 2025
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The front pleat featured on the top offers a compelling alternative to graphic T-shirts and even bustier tops.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
19 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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Johnson’s concerns are rooted in efforts last decade by healthcare advocates to have Blue Shield declared a charitable organization and to dig into its assets to improve patient care as a condition of its approval to acquire Care1st.—
Laurence Darmiento,
Los Angeles Times,
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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Auckland City is the reigning champion of the New Zealand National League and met the qualifying criteria in the most convincing fashion.—
James Nalton,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Anything short of a convincing win would be a massive loss for the club.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisive. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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