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
-
Whitney Portal will observe sharp deterioration in conditions with extreme danger to hikers and campers unprepared for the winter weather.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Casualties among Gaza’s police force during the two-year conflict have contributed to a deterioration in security, with looting of aid becoming commonplace.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Presenting their findings in a lengthy declination memo, the prosecutors explicitly mentioned the two other investigations to bolster their recommendation that probable cause does not exist to charge Comey, according to sources familiar with the contents of the memo.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
6 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
In this melancholy-comic subversion of a rags-to-riches story Karl’s empathetic musings about those less fortunate immigrants foreshadow his subsequent downhill trajectory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Despite its weakening power, heavy rain associated with the storm has already stretched as far north as the Desert Southwest.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
While most of the central bank’s policymakers still see inflation as a bigger threat than the jobs market — whose weakening may be more driven by slower immigration than corporate gloominess — there’s little consensus on the path forward, according to the September minutes released Wednesday.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That research has also linked ultraprocessed foods to health concerns like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease.—
Alice Callahan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
These participants tended to report good physical health and strong social relationships, but their testing revealed small declines in memory and emotional awareness.—
Faye Chiu,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
City resort-tax data, which includes taxes on hotel rooms and food and beverage sales, shows total collections of just under $110 million in each of the past two fiscal years, a dip from about $114 million and $116 million in the prior two years.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
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Before heading to one of seven treatment rooms, named after various spices, guests can take a dip in the waves below or relax by the infinity pool.—
Katie Lockhart,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The setting catches America at a point of transition between an era of middle-class prosperity and the economic decay that was on the horizon.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Some nuclei will be stable against decays, others will undergo one or more decays (radioactively) before producing a stable end-product.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Backcountry recreationalist may experience a rapid degradation in weather conditions, and should be prepared for winter conditions.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Past research in the Arctic has identified tens of thousands of methane seeps -- many of them linked to climate change impacts and the degradation of cryospheric caps, such as glacial ice, permafrost and gas hydrates, the authors said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Declension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declension. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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