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
-
These ingredients reflect a growing shift in pet wellness away from simply slowing joint deterioration and toward rebuilding comfort, restoring flexibility, and reducing inflammation at the source.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
-
But the deployment of—among others—three destroyers, at least one submarine and an amphibious ready group (ARG) filled with Marines is a further deterioration in the poor relationship between Washington and Caracas that appears to have spooked Maduro.—
Ellie Cook
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 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
-
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
-
Sanders took the approach of a speedy downhill runner compared to Jordan’s meandering style and also caught a short pass from Maiava and ran it in 74 yards for a touchdown and returned punts for USC in the second quarter.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
-
While Pakistan is widely known among mountaineers for peaks like K2, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak, its relatively untapped ski terrain creates a rare opportunity for exclusive downhill experiences.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Those trades were made ahead of Friday’s big jobs report for August, which showed the labor market weakening.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Within 24 hours, the storm was expected to begin a slow weakening.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Paluel faced similar power declines in 2016 when a steam generator weighing more than 450 tons collapsed while being moved, causing the plant to be shut down before coming back online a year later.—
Theo Burman
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The world is also facing exponential declines in biodiversity, primarily among insects.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The first trend is the significant dip roughly a century ago.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Los Angeles Unified schools experienced a dip in student attendance in some communities where immigration enforcement was reported at the end of last school year, said Britt Vaughan, a spokesperson for the district.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Exposure to warm, humid air and bugs in the outdoors will speed up the decay even more.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The quest has led us down many theoretically interesting avenues, spawning ideas like extra dimensions, supersymmetry, proton decay, string theory, and many others.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That prospect creates tremendous angst among activists who worry about the degradation of storage canisters over time.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
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The research shows that the batteries generate heat under high-load conditions to counteract performance degradation, a finding intended to create more resilient energy storage systems.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Declension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declension. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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