DECLINE Synonyms: 444 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'decline' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of decline are refuse , reject , repudiate , and spurn . While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations. // declined his party's nomination

Q: When might 'refuse' be a better fit than 'decline'?

While in some cases nearly identical to decline , refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for. // refused to lend them the money

Q: When would 'reject' be a good substitute for 'decline'?

The words reject and decline can be used in similar contexts, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding. // rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

Q: When is it sensible to use 'repudiate' instead of 'decline'?

The synonyms repudiate and decline are sometimes interchangeable, but repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance. // teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

Q: Where would 'spurn' be a reasonable alternative to 'decline'?

While the synonyms spurn and decline are close in meaning, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation. // spurned his overtures of friendship

decline 1 of 2

verb

di-ˈklīn

Definition of decline

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deny

to be unwilling to grant declined our request to hold a party

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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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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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

decline

2 of 2

noun

di-ˈklīn

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in declination

a change to a lower state or level the decline of the Roman Empire

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as in downhill

a downward slope the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word decline different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of decline are refuse, reject, repudiate, and spurn. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When might refuse be a better fit than decline?

While in some cases nearly identical to decline, refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

When would reject be a good substitute for decline?

The words reject and decline can be used in similar contexts, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When is it sensible to use repudiate instead of decline?

The synonyms repudiate and decline are sometimes interchangeable, but repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

Where would spurn be a reasonable alternative to decline?

While the synonyms spurn and decline are close in meaning, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of decline

Verb

Formerly superhot markets like Austin, Texas, Miami and Naples, Florida, have all declined markedly since 2022. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Payouts for the runner-up and semifinal losers have also declined relative to the overall purse in the past decade. — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Noun

Their clear ideological viewpoints, brands, and the willingness of most of their personalities to stick around have insulated networks like Fox News and MS NOW from the sharp decline in viewership eating away at much of the rest of cable television. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Versant is aiming to wean itself off of the pay-TV business due to the decline in subscribers who have migrated to streaming video. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decline

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decline

Verb

Reuters reported that five migrants who refused to disembark after arriving in Monrovia were flown instead to Equatorial Guinea in Central Africa, where they are held with more than 30 other migrants previously sent there by the US.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
The channel, which is banned inside Iran, refuses to disclose its private donors.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of refuse

Verb

New state data obtained by the I-Team shows that 46% of cancer claims that firefighters filed in Texas between January 2021 and April 2026 were denied.

— Ginger Allen, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Two Jets front-office sources, on condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak publicly, deny that, and Glenn has owned the decisions publicly.

— Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of deny

Verb

When night falls, another show begins with a dedicated corner of the estate designed for stargazing.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Zinc ions enter the electrode first at higher voltages, while much smaller protons are stored later as the voltage falls.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of fall

Verb

The Associated Press OSLO, Norway -- Crown Prince Haakon visited his father King Harald of Norway on Monday at the hospital, after the king's health deteriorated over the weekend, public broadcaster NRK reported.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Now held with dozens of others in a former luxury hotel turned makeshift prison, the group describe chains, deteriorating conditions, scarce medical care and guards accused of violence.

— Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of deteriorate

Verb

The researchers’ models suggest that areas near the escarpment could have lost as much as 8 kilometers of rock, with erosion decreasing farther away from the ancient cliff.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
An early positive working relationship has been struck with Ross Wilson, the sporting director, and the pair usually speak multiple times every day, although their volume of conversations may decrease slightly once the transfer window closes.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of decrease

Verb

When Lake Mead last plunged to record-low water levels in 2022, its dramatically receding shoreline revealed all manner of curiosities.

— Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
The experiment will test whether a compact nuclear heat source can protect critical spacecraft systems when temperatures plunge.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of plunge

Noun

These tests helped rule out more ordinary explanations such as mechanical strain, material deterioration, uneven samples, and electromagnetic screening by the metal.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Generally, the deterioration in government fiscal health is a global issue.

— Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of deterioration

Noun

The declinations came as the DOJ reassigned and cut prosecutors working on environmental cases.

— Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
Federal regulations require special counsels to provide the attorney general with a report that explain prosecution or declination decisions once their work is concluded.

— Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026

Definition of declination

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declinations

decline

declined

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Style

“Decline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decline. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of decline

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noun

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