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
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
The Padres placed Cruz on the restricted list in mid-March and have declined further comment.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
Pentagon officials, citing the ongoing investigation, declined to answer questions about how much longer the report is expected to take.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Consumer sentiment in the US declined to another record low.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Pierce could not be reached for comment, and the mother of at least one of his children declined to comment.
—Jack Jankowski, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Related Stories Cannes organizers declined to comment.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 9 May 2026
OpenAI, Meta, and others that Amon declined to name in an interview from the company’s San Diego headquarters.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Over the last three decades, Baltimore County’s fire and EMS call volume has increased by more than 500% while staffing levels have declined.
—Nick Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
Verb
Kazarian declined to comment further on Friday afternoon.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
The Padres placed Cruz on the restricted list in mid-March and have declined further comment.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
Pentagon officials, citing the ongoing investigation, declined to answer questions about how much longer the report is expected to take.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Consumer sentiment in the US declined to another record low.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Pierce could not be reached for comment, and the mother of at least one of his children declined to comment.
—Jack Jankowski, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Related Stories Cannes organizers declined to comment.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 9 May 2026
OpenAI, Meta, and others that Amon declined to name in an interview from the company’s San Diego headquarters.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Over the last three decades, Baltimore County’s fire and EMS call volume has increased by more than 500% while staffing levels have declined.
—Nick Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declined
Verb
-
So far, Aoun has refused to engage in face-to-face discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding a complete halt to Israeli fire on the country.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
Since officials in the Canary Islands refused to allow Hondius to dock in Tenerife, the boat will instead anchor offshore.—
Mark Osborne,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Clemente first denied drinking but later admitted to consuming alcohol.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Vinicius Jr had alleged that Prestianni had racially abused him, which Prestianni denied on social media.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
But they were felled by poor shooting Friday, making just 35% overall and were particularly bad from long range.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
But before he was felled at age 68 by a heart attack, Joiner had shared what was in the briefcase with the lead Louisiana State Police investigator on the case, Stefan Montgomery, Joiner's son and the LSP confirmed.—
Stephanie Gosk,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even the city emblem right in front of City Hall is deteriorated.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Mohammadi, who has been imprisoned in Zanjan Prison in the northwest since her arrest in December, was transferred last Friday to a local hospital after her health sharply deteriorated.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Last year, the number of officers killed decreased, both in terms of officers killed as a result of felonious acts and those killed accidentally.—
Kenneth D. Robinson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
In addition, overall passenger numbers decreased 20% after Spirit exited a route, which indicates that rival airlines did not immediately step forward to fill the void.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The engine failed 35 minutes into the flight, and the aircraft plunged headfirst into the jungle floor.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
Chevron, by contrast, saw its profits fall by more than a third over the first three months of this year compared to a year ago, while Exxon's profits plunged by 45% over that time.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
1 May 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
-
While Raman portrayed herself as the focus of attacks from both opponents, Bass’ campaign rejected that framing as a distraction from her debate performance and City Council record.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
Last year, the governor rejected the legislation banning algorithms that had been used to hike rent prices in Denver and elsewhere, despite a letter from the House Democratic caucus urging him to sign it.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
