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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
  • José Dias Toffoli, who previously stepped down from overseeing the Banco Master case because of his links to Vorcaro, also refused to vote.
    — MAURICIO SAVARESE, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Many families who are cited in the lawsuit said the insurer refused to test their homes for contaminants.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 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
  • Yet trees that took a millennium to grow can be felled in under an hour.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Vines are pulled away from fences, and sometimes trees are even felled.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of fell
Verb
  • Ties between the two countries, which had deteriorated sharply following a deadly border skirmish in 2020, have been thawing for more than a year.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • An individual company can maintain excellent controls and favorable claims experience while still facing higher pricing because the market has deteriorated around it.
    — Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 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
  • Over the past three years, Carter’s stock has plunged more than 50%, bringing its market cap to around $1 billion.
    — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Latest global rankings last week showed reading scores among 15-year-olds in the United States have plunged while Asian nations like Singapore and China are doing remarkably well.
    — Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 2026.

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