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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deny
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to fall
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declination
a change to a lower state or level
the decline of the Roman Empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in downhill
a downward slope
the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in demise
a loss of status
the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
With the de minimis provision gone, air freight has declined around 30 percent, per Glennon.
—Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
The Browns need to prepare for anything and Sanders getting those reps will be important in case Gabriel is hurt or starts to show a decline in his play, or Kevin Stefanski simply wants to see if his other rookie can play in a regular season game.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Verb
While manufacturing provides more than 470,000 jobs and brings more than $66 billion into Wisconsin's economy, the sector continues to decline in the state despite growth nationally.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
With the de minimis provision gone, air freight has declined around 30 percent, per Glennon.
—Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
Specifically, looking back over the past several years, there have been nine prior four-week declines of roughly 10% or more.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
The Browns need to prepare for anything and Sanders getting those reps will be important in case Gabriel is hurt or starts to show a decline in his play, or Kevin Stefanski simply wants to see if his other rookie can play in a regular season game.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decline
Verb
-
My adoptive parents had refused to allow contact or send pictures, and didn’t tell me about her attempt to communicate with us for years after the fact.—
Nicole Chung,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Federal officials refused to return him, accusing him of being a gang member, despite judges’ orders that he should be sent back to the United States.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Republicans argue Democrats want to fund health care for immigrants in the country illegally, a claim Democrats deny.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Once there, she was assigned a bare mattress on the floor and denied religious accommodations, including Halal meals, her lawyers said.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Zay Flowers, who finished with a receiving line of 5-for-72, fell a yard short of a long TD on a 56-yard gain.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
City administrator echoes points other municipalities have stated Brown presented a series of slides and data pieces that, among other facts, showed the city has lagged further behind in terms of property revenue increases falling short of 3% inflation on existing services on average.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Breaking them down to save for a later date isn’t enough, as bugs will still nestle their way in even as the cardboard deteriorates.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement Our hygiene deteriorates.—
Eli Sharabi,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Sesame oil is high in antioxidants that may help decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease, along with reducing joint pain related to arthritis.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That coincides with higher production costs and plunging crop prices.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The share of hires with little work experience has plunged more than 50% at large-cap tech companies between 2019 and 2024, according to venture capital firm SignalFire.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Americans have this year grappled with elevated inflation, as well as a deterioration of the job market and a broader weakening of the nation’s economic outlook.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The median age of survival since 1970 is 29 years and, while there is no cure and physical deterioration is inevitable, advancements in care have lengthened life expectancy.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
8 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
Cite this Entry
“Decline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decline. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share