1
as in to refuse
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
he declined the invitation to the party she declined to participate in the soccer game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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2
as in to deny
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
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3
as in to fall
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years
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4
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death
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5
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes
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6
as in to plunge
to lead or extend downward
the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles
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1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
her sad decline from a robust athlete to an old woman with arthritis
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2
as in declination
a change to a lower state or level
the decline of the Roman Empire
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3
as in downhill
a downward slope
the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline
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4
as in demise
a loss of status
the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline
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5
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
a huge decline in the value of the artwork after its authenticity was questioned
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of decline
Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 18 Apr. 2025
While mortgage rates have been declining recently due to uncertainty surrounding the impact of Trump's tariffs on the market, an increase linked to the U.S.-China trade war is likely to make the president take a step back.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 18 Apr. 2025
Poll shows many view it as ‘an enemy’ February 24, 2025 12:51 PM
Read Next
National
Trump tariffs set to trigger ‘steep’ decline in North America trade, WTO warns
April 16, 2025 2:12 PM
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Verb
Smith and his wife Ashley declined, choosing instead to focus on their other sports assets, including the Jazz, the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club and a downtown development effort.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 18 Apr. 2025
While mortgage rates have been declining recently due to uncertainty surrounding the impact of Trump's tariffs on the market, an increase linked to the U.S.-China trade war is likely to make the president take a step back.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
Consumer beauty, entailing Covergirl, Max Factor, Rimmel and more, saw net revenue drop 8% in the three months ended Dec. 31 on the back of declines in color cosmetics and body care, which were partially offset by growth in mass fragrance.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 18 Apr. 2025
Poll shows many view it as ‘an enemy’ February 24, 2025 12:51 PM
Read Next
National
Trump tariffs set to trigger ‘steep’ decline in North America trade, WTO warns
April 16, 2025 2:12 PM
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decline
Verb
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The suit alleges that ICE agents repeatedly refused to give VML's father her location and denied him the opportunity to speak for more than a minute to VML's mother.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article Three people were arrested and accused of assaulting a taxi cab driver in Norwalk on Thursday after allegedly refusing to pay their cab fare, including one suspect whose alleged combative behavior injured a police officer.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The state also was denied an emergency order to block Musk’s exercise of sweeping power over the federal budget.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Chemicals at the port were suspected to have fueled the explosion, but the exact cause was not clear and Iran's Defence Ministry denied international media reports that the blast may be linked to the mishandling of solid fuel used for missiles.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Rising bond yields Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds typically fall – and their prices rise - as investors flee stocks for the safe haven of Treasuries during economic slowdowns.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The basic premise of DeSantis’s primary candidacy—that Republicans wanted Trumpism without Trump—fell apart once the former president started hoovering up media attention and gained a wide lead in the polls.—
Drew Nelles,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That volume is masking deteriorating demand from key sectors - particularly domestic manufacturing, which drives more than 60% of big rig ton miles, and ocean imports.—
Lisa Baertlein,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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The setting of the urban scenes was crafted by dressing up these Welsh locations to mimic a deteriorating American metropolis, Screen Rant reported.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The number of Jesuits globally has steadily decreased since the 1960s, when there were more than 36,000.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Losses were seen in BYD Company which plunged 4.03%, Meituan which dropped 1.02%, Xpeng which fell 3.46% and Baidu which was down 0.29%. Elsewhere, gains were seen in Tencent which edged up 0.17%, Xiaomi which increased 0.73% , SenseTime which added 2.11% and JD.com which advanced 2.91%.—
Amala Balakrishner,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Divorce Is Often Deferred, Not Prevented When the economy plunges, so does the financial feasibility of divorce.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This may further contribute to a deterioration in hard data and usher in an economic recession.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That led to a deterioration of ties with Pakistan, which also claims the region.—
Fayaz Bukhari,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The sun's changing declination is what determines whether the sun's rays strike us at a low angle or more directly.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 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
Cite this Entry
“Decline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decline. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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