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
The same time span felt faster, like an explosion rather than like a declension.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 7 June 2021
One time, when Joyce was memorizing Latin declension, Bill Bradley of the Knicks took notice.
—Katherine Fitzgerald, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2021
The experience of the pandemic was made ghastlier by being placed against the declension of Trumpism from evil to absurdity—who will ever forget Four Seasons Total Landscaping?—and then back into even darker evil again.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2020
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
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
The same time span felt faster, like an explosion rather than like a declension.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 7 June 2021
One time, when Joyce was memorizing Latin declension, Bill Bradley of the Knicks took notice.
—Katherine Fitzgerald, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2021
The experience of the pandemic was made ghastlier by being placed against the declension of Trumpism from evil to absurdity—who will ever forget Four Seasons Total Landscaping?—and then back into even darker evil again.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2020
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
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
-
By diplomatic standards, the deterioration has been abrupt.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Other economists — such as those at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and UBS Group AG — interpreted the rapid deterioration in hiring more as a sign of weak labor demand, which would push the Fed to commence with rate reductions at its next policy meeting in September.—
Ashley Lutz,
Fortune,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
The changing declination also defines the daily arc that the sun takes across the sky, thereby accounting for the length of daylight.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The ride itself starts the next day with a downhill run from Roncesvalles following the Iratí River, stopping to visit the 12th-century Romanesque Church of Santa María Eunate along the way.—
Cassidy Randall,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s Evolution Bike Park features two double black diamond downhills: Psycho Rocks and Captain Jack.—
Melanie Haiken,
Outside Online,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
The decline comes as the measles outbreak continues to grow, sickening more people than at any time since it was declared eliminated.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Disney’s entertainment division had revenue of $10.7 billion, up 1 percent, and operating income of $1 billion, down 15 percent, due to declines in the linear TV networks, offset by the growth in streaming and some improvements in content licensing.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Cilantro can be a polarizing ingredient, but Beyoncé's cilantro-free guacamole recipe ensures everyone will love the finished dip.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Take a dip, cast a line, or stay on shore for some excellent shelling.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In organizational life, this might look like: Declines in discretionary effort Ambiguity about priorities Less appetite for risk or experimentation Emotional withdrawal or flattened affect These aren’t signs of decay.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
In places where fluoride is not in the drinking water, fluoride tablets or drops may be prescribed for babies and children to reduce the risk of tooth decay.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
The degradation of individual and societal health spirals downward while the most powerful controllers of the medical and pharmaceutical industries thrive.—
David Marks,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Aug. 2025
-
The degradation and genocide of Indigenous Americans on the mainland is widely known.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Drenched in sweat, the group was all smiles hitting the bridge’s descent, the final leg before our finish line, Birdee, Kent Hospitality’s new bakery and café.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Aug. 2025
-
An open letter penned by actor BD Wong condemning the Maybe Happy Ending casting of a white actor in a role originally filled by an actor of Filipino descent has garnered more than 2,400 signatures.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Declension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declension. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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