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
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Recent Examples of decline
Davis Winkie, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
The changes are visible at KFC, which brought back its original recipe tenders in 2024 after a few quarters of declining sales.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 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
The agency declined to provide USA TODAY an on-the-record comment.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
The changes are visible at KFC, which brought back its original recipe tenders in 2024 after a few quarters of declining sales.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 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
-
But the union filed a lawsuit in November 2023, alleging that the tribe had refused to select an arbitrator to conduct the card-counting process.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
One teen said Scarr routinely pressured him for oral sex, including in the sanctuary, and threatened to kill himself if the boy refused.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 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
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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
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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
-
Data centers deteriorate rapidly, unlike the more durable infrastructure of canals, railroads, or even fiber-optic cables.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
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During an earnings call Wednesday, Lyons said Argentina’s deteriorating economic environment contributed to slowing growth and margin disappointment.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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Not brave enough for the power suit plunge a la Miley?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Oct. 2025
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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
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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
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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
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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 1 Nov. 2025.
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