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
Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026
Nearby homeowner Mike, who declined to provide his last name and lost his home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, said the changing weather is a reminder of how quickly fire danger can escalate.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 16 May 2026
His abysmal 7th place in the Wood meant that he was handily bested by Albus, who won, Right to Party, who placed, and Ocelli, who went on to show handily in the Derby, a race that trainer Brown declined for Iron Honor.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez declined to comment.
—Arkansas Online, 16 May 2026
When asked to clarify on a more specific timetable, the manager declined.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
Since then, the average cost for a dozen large Grade A eggs has declined more than 56% — or a difference of almost $3.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office and the Draper City Prosecutor both declined to file charges against Paul in April, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 15 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
Yolo County’s homeless population declined slightly over the past two years, but nearly two-thirds of the people counted in January were living outdoors as county leaders considered millions of dollars in cuts to the services many rely on.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026
Nearby homeowner Mike, who declined to provide his last name and lost his home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, said the changing weather is a reminder of how quickly fire danger can escalate.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 16 May 2026
His abysmal 7th place in the Wood meant that he was handily bested by Albus, who won, Right to Party, who placed, and Ocelli, who went on to show handily in the Derby, a race that trainer Brown declined for Iron Honor.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez declined to comment.
—Arkansas Online, 16 May 2026
When asked to clarify on a more specific timetable, the manager declined.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
Since then, the average cost for a dozen large Grade A eggs has declined more than 56% — or a difference of almost $3.
—Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office and the Draper City Prosecutor both declined to file charges against Paul in April, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 15 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
-
California officials have flatly refused.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Since 2008, Medicare has refused to reimburse hospitals for the additional cost of treating many infections that develop after admission.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The general director of visual arts at Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance—Mahdizadeh Tehrani— denied that the state ever withdrew from the exhibition this year, and said the country still hopes to take part in some capacity.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
13 May 2026
-
For example, don’t spend the entire conversation complaining about a past boss who denied your PTO request, McGoff says.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
13 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
-
The leaders best positioned through each of these disruptions were not the ones calling us when the situation deteriorated, but those who had already built their structure during the quiet years.—
Dwayne Chauhan,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Over the course of the next hour, the weather deteriorated rapidly.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
At an optimal dosage of 10 g/L, the lag phase of hydrogen production decreased by about 50%, and the specific hydrogen yield increased by roughly 33%, according to researchers.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
-
Wealthy Russians, Ukrainians, and northern Europeans snapped up properties, too—though visitors from the Russian-speaking world have decreased since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Rebecca Rose,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Halsey wore look 30 from Mishra’s spring 2024 couture collection, a blush-nude tulle gown with tiny beaded straps and a deep V that plunged to the waist.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
10 May 2026
-
On May 1, Chinese tariffs on imports from all 53 African countries with which China holds diplomatic relations plunged to zero.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
10 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
-
The comments came two weeks after the House rejected DeSantis’ push to pass bills to expand vaccine exemptions for children entering public schools and to install consumer-friendly regulations on artificial intelligence products and companies.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
Bianco launched a voter‑fraud investigation after a local group claimed the county counted roughly 46,000 more ballots than were received, a claim election officials rejected.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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