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
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
Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
The Army Corps declined to comment for this article, citing the ongoing lawsuit.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Loyal Source declined to comment.
—Morgan Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Two State Department officials said 30% to 40% of Americans offered seats on charter flights had either declined them or did not show up.
—Hallie Golden, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Court documents showed the company’s gross revenue declined from more than $2 million in 2022 to $835,000 in 2024 before the bankruptcy filing.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
During his visit to Saint Kitts and Nevis for the 50th annual meeting of the Caribbean Community bloc known as CARICOM, Ali declined to address the friction sparked by Persad-Bissessar, who included a defense of Guyana in her opening remarks.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Gustin declined to answer specific question about the 13-year-old girl, citing privacy rules.
—ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026
Quiros also oversaw the closures of Northern Correctional Institution, Willard Correctional Institution and Radgowski Correctional Center as the prison population declined.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
Township officials also offered assistance during a public meeting to help address those concerns, but the university declined the help, the lawsuit alleges.
—Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
The Army Corps declined to comment for this article, citing the ongoing lawsuit.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Loyal Source declined to comment.
—Morgan Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Two State Department officials said 30% to 40% of Americans offered seats on charter flights had either declined them or did not show up.
—Hallie Golden, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Court documents showed the company’s gross revenue declined from more than $2 million in 2022 to $835,000 in 2024 before the bankruptcy filing.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026
During his visit to Saint Kitts and Nevis for the 50th annual meeting of the Caribbean Community bloc known as CARICOM, Ali declined to address the friction sparked by Persad-Bissessar, who included a defense of Guyana in her opening remarks.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Gustin declined to answer specific question about the 13-year-old girl, citing privacy rules.
—ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026
Quiros also oversaw the closures of Northern Correctional Institution, Willard Correctional Institution and Radgowski Correctional Center as the prison population declined.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declined
Verb
-
Reporters from outlets that refused to consent to the new rules, including those from the Associated Press, have continued reporting on the military from outside the building.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The judge reminded the court that Cox filed the motion in January 2026 and refused to delay the hearing.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Earlier this week, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Ricks' request to commute his death sentence or grant a 90-day reprieve.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The board denied renewal of Green Dot Locke High charter by a 4-3 vote, citing lower performance compared to traditional schools.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Apartment buildings were felled by air strikes, and smoke billowed from the blasts; the buzz of Israeli drones filled the air.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Too many people, particularly those in my age group, have been felled by a cold that morphed into pneumonia, or a UTI that landed them in the hospital, or a simple stumble on a floor mat that resulted in surgery and months of physical therapy.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some claimed that her mental health had deteriorated.—
Anika Burgess,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The move to change the clock came after relations between the United States and Canada deteriorated.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Drone strikes have decreased by 83%.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Though on Saturday, MDFR said smoke in the area had greatly decreased compared to Thursday and Friday.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Stocks plunged, and the price of oil spiked by fifteen per cent, as Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
After a fifth year of extreme drought, water levels in Tehran’s five reservoirs plunged to some 10% of their capacity, prompting President Masoud Pezeshkian to warn the capital may have to be evacuated.—
Annika Hammerschlag,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 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
-
In 2019, a bill requiring the Department of Public Health and the University of Connecticut to study female genital mutilation in the state was rejected by the Senate.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2026
-
But Patrick rejected the idea that funding battles would doom the effort.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
