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
Paul Meador, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
The National Labor Relations Board declined jurisdiction on narrow grounds, warning that allowing one private-school team to unionize while most FBS programs were public universities could create instability.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2026
But officials declined to provide more detail about the assignment, citing Ohio public records exemptions.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Netflix declined to comment on Banks’ suit when contacted by Deadline.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 June 2026
One said he had been offered a job at a Caddell site in another country but declined after his treatment in Milan.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2026
Some of the states have reportedly declined because of budgetary issues, and at least one has refused amid concerns of the event being too partisan.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
The number of people who received pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication, used to prevent those at risk from contracting HIV, declined by a drastic 38 percent between 2024 and 2025, per initial data from 62 countries — which means more than a million fewer people took the drug.
—Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 13 June 2026
Anthropic declined to comment beyond its blog post.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 13 June 2026
Verb
Florida citrus acreage declined from nearly 749,000 acres in 2004 to approximately 275,000 acres in 2024.
—Paul Meador, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
The National Labor Relations Board declined jurisdiction on narrow grounds, warning that allowing one private-school team to unionize while most FBS programs were public universities could create instability.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2026
But officials declined to provide more detail about the assignment, citing Ohio public records exemptions.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
Netflix declined to comment on Banks’ suit when contacted by Deadline.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 13 June 2026
One said he had been offered a job at a Caddell site in another country but declined after his treatment in Milan.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2026
Some of the states have reportedly declined because of budgetary issues, and at least one has refused amid concerns of the event being too partisan.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
The number of people who received pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication, used to prevent those at risk from contracting HIV, declined by a drastic 38 percent between 2024 and 2025, per initial data from 62 countries — which means more than a million fewer people took the drug.
—Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 13 June 2026
Anthropic declined to comment beyond its blog post.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declined
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
-
The British newspaper reported that Hockney is believed to have turned down a knighthood on several occasions and is said to have once refused an invitation to paint the late Queen Elizabeth.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
-
At multiple locations blocks from the Garden, crowds refused numerous verbal commands to disperse, police said.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
But ever since Hay filed his civil suit against Combs, the musician’s attorneys have fiercely denied his allegations.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
-
Boats arriving from Haiti’s seaports will soon be required to operate under enhanced security measures or risk being denied entry into the United States.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
And those are the lucky ones, who weren’t felled by late-season injuries and bumped from the tournament the way Brazil’s Rodrygo, Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma and Germany’s Serge Gnabry were.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
11 June 2026
-
There was also a giant tree stretching across Laflin Street about a block from the scene of the fire, after being felled by the storms on Wednesday.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The bureau said in May that her condition had deteriorated and medical devices and medications were supporting her lung and kidney functions, AFP reported.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Prices have steadily climbed as the cattle herd shrank to its lowest levels in 75 years, while the prospects for rebuilding supplies have deteriorated in recent weeks.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Crime in the 21207 zip code area has decreased within the last year, according to data from the Baltimore County Public Safety Data Dashboard.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
Parents should quickly seek medical care for an infant who has difficulty swallowing, poor feeding, loss of head control or decreased facial expression, the CDC said.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Scene of a fatal crash and fire on Interstate Highway 280 after a vehicle plunged off the 18th Street overpass in San Francisco, June 12, 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Severe storms and tornadoes that tore through the Midwest on June 11 left one person dead, downed trees and plunged thousands into darkness with power outages.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
With bowed heads, friends and classmates wrapped their arms around each other.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of your standard dress shoes, Styles finished the look with a perfect pair of minty-green ballet flats with bowed laces.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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