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
Evan Drellich, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Through Hobbs, the farmer declined an interview.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Peter Tira, a CDFW spokesperson, declined to comment on the text.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
The network declined to comment.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2025
But the league declined to say this week whether its investigation was completed before the Heat traded for him.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Netflix declined to comment Friday.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Global warming pushes Arctic seals closer to extinction The IUCN update shows that the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) has declined from vulnerable to endangered, and the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) have moved from least-concern to near-threatened.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Ramos resigned in February 2024, according to a Denver Police spokesperson, who declined to comment on the verdict.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
Clark declined to comment when asked if some smaller-market clubs bring in more money than large-market clubs.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Through Hobbs, the farmer declined an interview.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
Peter Tira, a CDFW spokesperson, declined to comment on the text.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
The network declined to comment.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2025
But the league declined to say this week whether its investigation was completed before the Heat traded for him.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Netflix declined to comment Friday.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Global warming pushes Arctic seals closer to extinction The IUCN update shows that the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) has declined from vulnerable to endangered, and the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) have moved from least-concern to near-threatened.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Ramos resigned in February 2024, according to a Denver Police spokesperson, who declined to comment on the verdict.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declined
Verb
-
The president refused to meet until the day before the deadline.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Despite this, Fortun and her partner refused to give up.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Supreme Court also previously denied an appeal filed by Davis in 2020.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
That defeat denied Indianapolis a playoff appearance and infuriated the man in charge of it all.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The at-bats were brief and uneventful, the opposite of the approach that carried Toronto to this stage and felled Snell in Game 1.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
That says a lot about the 2025 Red Sox, who were a top offensive team in many metrics, but were also felled by their bats in crucial spots throughout the year and postseason.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Plus, the company outlook index deteriorated sharply, indicating an increasingly negative sentiment about future conditions.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
-
In the years before her death, Warren’s relationship with his mother had deteriorated.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Silver There was a time when owning silver was a rite of passage and, while its panache has decreased in recent year, there's still inherent value in this precious metal.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, and decreased joint mobility.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Palantir — the poster child of that obsession — plunged nearly 8% despite its blowout quarter, while Oracle dropped almost 4%.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Though Starbucks was early to the China coffee shop space, its market share there had plunged to 14% by last year, from 34% in 2019, Reuters reported (citing data from Euromonitor International).—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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
-
However, Russia’s Defense Ministry has rejected the Lithuanian claims and said its Su-30 fighter jets conducted training flights over the Kaliningrad region in strict compliance with the rules, not violating the borders of any other states.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Texas lawmakers rejected both the Smithsonian's cost estimates of transporting Discovery and the museum's legal claim of ownership.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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