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
A couple of free throws by Joshua Sheran cut Blair’s deficit to 87-86, but Trabuco scored the next 10 in a row for a decisive 97-86 lead with 34 seconds remaining.
—
Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
Hearing him recount, in the first person, the exact moment when the coup unfolded was decisive.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Despite the recent gains, analysts caution against viewing the developments as a decisive shift in the war.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 18 Feb. 2026
This is a decisive move to safeguard Floridians from foreign influence operations that aim to undermine our economy, compromise our institutions and weaken our freedom.
—February 17, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
Hearing him recount, in the first person, the exact moment when the coup unfolded was decisive.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Despite the recent gains, analysts caution against viewing the developments as a decisive shift in the war.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 18 Feb. 2026
This is a decisive move to safeguard Floridians from foreign influence operations that aim to undermine our economy, compromise our institutions and weaken our freedom.
—February 17, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisive
Adjective
-
Tillis remained resolute in holding up the president’s Fed chair nomination in protest over a Justice Department investigation of the current one.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Sports have always represented one of humankind’s most resolute rejections of nihilism.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Atila found residues in seven different vessels but only obtained a conclusive result from one artifact excavated in the ancient city of Pergamon that dates from the second century.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But the research isn’t conclusive.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One physician shared that the tool found critical information buried in the records of a cancer patient, which helped a team including six pathologists to give a definitive diagnosis.—
Hilke Schellmann,
Scientific American,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Here are the definitive recipes for timeless favorites like roast chicken, scalloped potatoes, Caesar salad, quiche, simple pan-seared salmon filets, fettuccine alfredo, plus some of Martha’s signature desserts like apple tarte tatin, New York cheesecake, and tangy lemon bars.—
Jennifer Anderson,
Martha Stewart,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Warner Bros is determined to get Wuthering Heights to an $80M-plus opening, and that might fluctuate with a lower domestic 4-day (mid $30M) and a better international (north of $42M).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2026
-
That means that Siqueira, recruiting coordinator Camilo Guerci and assistant coach Chen Abramovich are determined to sign as many as 16 new players by the time the 2026 season starts in August.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The minibar is a compelling decorative touch on its own, set inside a dedicated cupboard and features an array of local, gourmet snacks, antiqued wine and cocktail glasses, and an anniversary edition of the 1935 Illy espresso machine for your morning and afternoon coffees.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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As a means of generating its own conceptions of goodness that feel compelling to most human beings, its record is quite mixed, perhaps because that’s not what it was ever designed to do.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After month of standing by Ruemmler, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon accepted his general counsel’s resignation last week.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Ayton competes internationally for the Bahamas, last playing for the national team during the 2024 Olympic qualifying process.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What matters is intent—how much the audience actually cares.—
Martin Moszkowicz,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
-
But OpenAI seems intent on being an enterprise company, too, and isn’t shying away from a fight with Google and Apple.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
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The imitators are increasingly convincing, especially as AI image and video generators get better by the day.—
John Whyte,
STAT,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisive. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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