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
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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
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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
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to comment on the lawsuit.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The mayor of Lemnos, Eleonora Georga, said shuttered schools around the island are one of the most obvious signs of the decline.
—Sarah McCammon, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Verb
This did cause Russia some pain, with its oil and gas revenues declining after the initial measure introduced in 2022.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to comment on the lawsuit.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
The film, created by Chinese student C·one and inspired by a team member’s relative suffering from the disease, uses an oil painting aesthetic to depict the inner world of someone experiencing cognitive decline.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The mayor of Lemnos, Eleonora Georga, said shuttered schools around the island are one of the most obvious signs of the decline.
—Sarah McCammon, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decline
Verb
-
By refusing to specify details of the case, the government keeps the possibility alive of changing their reasoning or their claims to have the same effect for different reasons—just as the mob changes its reasoning for killing Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
-
If Taiwan refuses to capitulate in a quarantine or blockade, an invasion could follow.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Rose has denied many of the allegations and the case is ongoing.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Grandma's fall inspires middle schooler's invention Kevin said his grandmother, who lives with his family, fell at home about five years ago.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The Phillies clearly have work to do this offseason after falling short in the NLCS, but restoring the relationship with Harper and emphasizing how false the rumors are needs to be a top priority.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, the property has passed hands from private owner to private owner, hidden from view off a lonely winding road, slowly deteriorating over the years.—
Amanda Rosa
October 23,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Grid operators are warning of steep increases in electricity demand for the first time in decades, leading utilities to race to expand capacity by reviving plans for natural-gas plants or building new ones, and, in some regions, even extending the life of deteriorating coal facilities.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the Universe continues to expand, dark energy’s relative contributions to the energy density will rise, while the remaining components will continue to decrease in relative importance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
24 Oct. 2025
-
See what prices have increased and decreased.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Not brave enough for the power suit plunge a la Miley?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The encouraging signals from both sides of the negotiations were a marked contrast from recent weeks, when Beijing’s announcement of new export restrictions and Trump’s reciprocal threat of staggering new tariffs threatened to plunge the world’s two largest economies back into an all-out trade war.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The causes of the deterioration are different in each case, and some of Washington’s grievances against Brazil, India, and South Africa—global swing states that will help dictate which country leads the world—are legitimate.—
Richard Fontaine,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Oct. 2025
-
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, CMT causes a range of sensory and motor symptoms, including numbness, tingling, pain, muscle weakness and atrophy — deterioration in cells, tissues, and organs.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 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 31 Oct. 2025.
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