as in bowing
bending downward or forward
we awaited our punishment with declined heads
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in refused
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fell
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 deteriorated
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 decreased
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 plunged
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of declined
Arkansas Online, 21 Feb. 2026
District officials declined to detail the concerns raised against district Trustee Tom Duncan, saying additional background information appears in reporting by the Auburn Journal.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Daley’s lawyer Chris Scileppi and Day's lawyer Nicholas Brereton both declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.
—Michael Ruiz , Christina Dugan Ramirez , Adriana James-Rodil, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
The Naperville Unit Education Association declined comment at this time.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
China does not allow dual citizenship, and Gu has declined to disclose her citizenship status.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
The administration has also declined to make its case at the United Nations.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 21 Feb. 2026
The court has so far declined to hear those appeals.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Trump has also, thus far, declined meeting Pahlavi, who has lived in Washington since his family’s exile in 1979.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
The embassy reopening plans are classified and the State Department declined to comment on details beyond confirming that the congressional notification was sent.
—Arkansas Online, 21 Feb. 2026
District officials declined to detail the concerns raised against district Trustee Tom Duncan, saying additional background information appears in reporting by the Auburn Journal.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Daley’s lawyer Chris Scileppi and Day's lawyer Nicholas Brereton both declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.
—Michael Ruiz , Christina Dugan Ramirez , Adriana James-Rodil, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
The Naperville Unit Education Association declined comment at this time.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
China does not allow dual citizenship, and Gu has declined to disclose her citizenship status.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
The administration has also declined to make its case at the United Nations.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 21 Feb. 2026
The court has so far declined to hear those appeals.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Trump has also, thus far, declined meeting Pahlavi, who has lived in Washington since his family’s exile in 1979.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declined
Verb
-
But Barakat refused to let his team go down on senior night, driving to the basket and scoring with three seconds remaining to force OT.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Two others refused medical treatment, Livengood said.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Along the way, people both inside and outside the union have labeled Meyer as a puppet of powerful agent Scott Boras, a charge both Boras and Meyer have vigorously denied.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Yoon, who can appeal the ruling, had denied the insurrection charge, saying his imposition of martial law was meant to alert the public to paralysing political gridlock caused by the opposition party’s majority in the National Assembly and its impeachment of several senior officials.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cortina Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi received death threats after centuries-old trees were felled to make way for a $131 million bobsledding track.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Afterward, Agnes and I were felled by the kind of hunger that overtakes only those who have exerted themselves in cold weather.—
Boris Fishman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike conventional implants that anchor in the jawbone, zygomatic implants extend into the cheekbone (zygoma), which remains dense even when jaw bone has deteriorated.—
Malana VanTyler,
jsonline.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Thousands of doctors being paid state wages that can hardly afford them a carton of eggs have emigrated from the country and hospitals have rapidly deteriorated.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In its 2025 report, Lazard, a financial advisory firm, estimated that the cost to build, operate, fuel and maintain a plant has decreased by 55% for wind and 84% for solar since 2009.—
Suhail Bhat,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Over the past few years, profits have decreased.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Stone's black gown featured a giant keyhole cutout that plunged almost to her belly button.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
22 Feb. 2026
-
But since then, Reuters recently reported, cocoa prices have plunged by 70 percent due to falling demand and because candy makers have developed alternatives to chocolate.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
Tehran has rejected those accusations and said the cases involved legitimate security concerns.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Earlier this legislative session, a committee rejected a 50-year sales exemption for data center purchases of equipment and software.—
Makenzie Huber,
States Newsroom,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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