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
-
Respondents perceive a significant reduction in the probability of a severe deterioration in economic prospects.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
17 June 2025
-
Rossetti had been working on the CONCERN Study, which had successfully developed an AI model to detect patient deterioration in the hospital setting.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 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
-
Men’s downhill: Odermatt (605 points) leads countryman Franjo von Allmen by 83 points.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Namely, making a downhill defender have to turn on a dime and sprint uphill, backpedaling between wing and prayer.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also contributed significantly to the squandering of its unipolar moment and setting off the decline of the American century.—
Narges Bajoghli,
Time,
19 June 2025
-
Cheng Xin/Getty Images New home prices fell 0.22 percent in 70 Chinese cities in May, the largest decline in seven months, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Turn creamy, cheesy spinach-and-artichoke dip into a rich and brothy soup.—
Jasmine Smith,
Southern Living,
24 June 2025
-
Monday saw some dips and slight drops, but the market rebounded and closed up almost 1%.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Certainly not for novelty’s sake; we are hardly starved for dramas of mental decay, or for the stupendous feats of acting that are often achieved in their service.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2025
-
That’s because warming increases the rate of decay of falling organic debris, so that less of it reaches the twilight zone.—
Tim Vernimmen,
JSTOR Daily,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
This natural degradation in data characteristics means an AI that once performed well might start making errors as its environment evolves.—
Ronen Cojocaru,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
Despite the degradation of its military capabilities, Iran can leverage proxies, criminal organizations abroad, and cyberattacks to hit Israeli, and possibly U.S., targets.—
Nakissa Jahanbani,
The Conversation,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Medical testing conducted at the Institute of Forensic Medicine determined that the baby, a girl, was likely of South American descent and was born alive.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
24 June 2025
-
According to Honda, the purpose of the flight was to demonstrate a number of key technological areas for reusable systems, including flight stability during ascent and descent, and power landing capability.—
David Szondy
June 21,
New Atlas,
21 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Declension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declension. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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