declined 1 of 2

adjective

as in bowing
bending downward or forward we awaited our punishment with declined heads

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declined

2 of 2

verb

past tense of decline
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

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2
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant declined our request to hold a party

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3
as in fell
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 deteriorated
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 decreased
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 plunged
to lead or extend downward the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles

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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 declined
Verb
Order could reshape federal wolf protections Gray wolves were first listed as endangered in 1967 after populations declined because of hunting and other human activities. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026 The Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to provide further comment on the case to Fortune. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026 Melcher had previously declined to sign Manson to a recording contract. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The river’s reservoirs have declined to their lowest levels on record. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Campbell’s officials declined to say how many people lost their jobs. — Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2026 Trump has declined so far to endorse a successor, opting to keep his cards close ahead of what’s likely to be a bitter race. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026 When asked about the lack of any tributes or the evening’s plans to honor Nolan, the Ocean Springs School District declined to comment. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 John-Paul declined to comment to the producers of the documentary. — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declined
  1. nodding
  2. refused
  3. denied
  4. fell
  5. deteriorated
  6. decreased
  7. plunged
  8. weeping
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
Definition of nodding
Verb
  • The head coach lauded improvements from the offensive line, said the running game got better in the second half and refused to throw receiver Romeo Doubs under the bus, noting that drops sometimes happen.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Anthropic also found evidence that a reseller platform routed refused biology prompts toward models with weaker safeguards.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • That group, early on, looked for equity in the pages of the Arkansas Gazette's society section, urging the publication to feature Black brides, who had previously been denied photos on the section front.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The fundraising push came nearly two weeks after a judge denied Anthony’s request for a new trial.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of denied
Verb
  • The goal came after Furuhashi got loose on a breakaway up the middle of the pitch, only to be felled by New England’s Will Sands in the center of the box, leaving referee Drew Fischer with an easy penalty call.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Mosaic terrazzo floors with a palm motif are nods to both Tiberius’s villas here and the Ethiopian palm that once stood like an icon outside the hotel, which was felled by a storm in the 1960s.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fell
Verb
  • But in the 1970s, the neighborhood faced disinvestment and the properties deteriorated.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Harald's death came after the Norwegian royal household said his health had deteriorated.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • Playing for Brian Daboll, Josh Allen slowly decreased his average time to throw and average air yards from 2018 to 2021.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • In Little Village, the number of vendors selling tamales and elotes has decreased, said Jennifer Aguilar, executive director of the business district’s chamber of commerce.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of decreased
Verb
  • Cheng Xin | Getty Images Lululemon shares plunged more than 20% this morning after the athleisure retailer's weak revenue report and outlook.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In the same time, shootings plunged 48%, robberies 35% and car thefts 20% — and those levels have generally improved or held this year.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of plunged
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    — David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping

Browse Nearby Words

decline
declined
declined (in)
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Cite this Entry

“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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