1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
a noticeable declension of the fitness of the baseball players over the winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declination
a change to a lower state or level
a declension in her acting career from leading roles to cameos eventually
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in downhill
a downward slope
from this region to the seacoast there's a gentle declension of the landscape
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of declension
That’s the whole exhibition, and anyone who was expecting this to be a Netflix declension of the Degenerate Art Show, with poor patriarchal Picasso as ritualized scapegoat, can rest easy.
—
Jason Farago, New York Times, 1 June 2023
Haidt follows the same tired declension narrative that his rhetorical forebearers did.
—Vicki Phillips, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
One time, when Joyce was memorizing Latin declension, Bill Bradley of the Knicks took notice.
—Katherine Fitzgerald, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2021
The same time span felt faster, like an explosion rather than like a declension.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 7 June 2021
Gender plays an integral role in many languages, from nouns assigned to a specific gender to adjectives changing their declensions based on the noun being described.
—Madhvi Ramani, Smithsonian, 28 Feb. 2018
Jason Farago, New York Times, 1 June 2023
Haidt follows the same tired declension narrative that his rhetorical forebearers did.
—Vicki Phillips, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
One time, when Joyce was memorizing Latin declension, Bill Bradley of the Knicks took notice.
—Katherine Fitzgerald, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2021
The same time span felt faster, like an explosion rather than like a declension.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 7 June 2021
Gender plays an integral role in many languages, from nouns assigned to a specific gender to adjectives changing their declensions based on the noun being described.
—Madhvi Ramani, Smithsonian, 28 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declension
Noun
-
Presbyopia is the gradual deterioration of your eyes' ability to focus on close objects.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Three others who died after release due to health deterioration caused by prison conditions.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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On those three dates, variations in the moon's position relative to Earth's equator — particularly its declination — can influence tidal forces that subtly affect Earth's rotation rate.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Where corporate criminal investigations resolve without filing any criminal charges (through a declination or deferred prosecution agreement), companies should expect victims to still voice their views loudly to the Justice Department and beyond.—
Lisa Zornberg,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Poore’s business transports mountain bikers to various points along the Blue Ridge Parkway for downhill adventures along the Appalachian Mountains across western North Carolina.—
Graham Hurley,
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Gateway is designed for hammering fast laps, with a gravel road climbing to the top of a ridge that provides access to the downhill singletrack.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The meeting comes as the central bank is in a bit of a bind, given the recent uptick in inflation that has coincided with a weakening of the job market.—
Zev Fima,Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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Inflammation can cause vascular disease — the narrowing, weakening or even blockage of blood vessels — that can damage organs such as the kidneys, lungs, liver and of course the brain.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The rise in premium leisure travel post-pandemic has replaced some of the decline in corporate travel.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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Researchers have found that the Mediterranean and DASH diets protect against cognitive decline.—
Patty Weasler,
Verywell Health,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Homicide numbers in Kansas City have been consistently high over the past nine years though there were dips in 2018, 2021 and 2024, according to annual reports for the Kansas City Police Department and numbers The Star tracks.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
26 Sep. 2025
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Its Everything Greens Dip, a take on traditional spinach dip, is instead made with collard greens and kale.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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It is also naturally produced through the decay of other isotopes found in used nuclear fuel.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
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The two manage to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, New York mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The one for the reel on which de Sanctis was working, for instance, told a sad story of degradation.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
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According to the lead researcher Ernestine Lonpi Tipi, that period coincided with drought and the gradual degradation of forests, and subsequent scarcity of bushmeat.—
Emmet Livingstone,
NPR,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Declension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declension. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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