DECLINES Synonyms: 418 Similar and Opposite Words

declines 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of decline

as in refuses

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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Relevance

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as in denies

to be unwilling to grant declined our request to hold a party

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as in falls

to go to a lower level especially abruptly new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years

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as in deteriorates

to become worse or of less value his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death

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as in decreases

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes

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as in plunges

to lead or extend downward the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles

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declines

2 of 2

noun

plural of decline

as in deteriorations

a change to a lower state or level the decline of the Roman Empire

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as in dips

a downward slope the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline

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as in demises

a loss of status the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline

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as in reductions

the amount by which something is lessened a huge decline in the value of the artwork after its authenticity was questioned

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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 declines

Verb

And women going through perimenopause and menopause lose muscle even faster because their estrogen declines. — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 Tracking Wall Street declines overnight, Asia markets tumbled Thursday. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Seek out care sooner when pain causes limping, swelling persists, function declines, or an injury follows a fall. — Michael Swartzon, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 Interest in Netflix’s existing series is showing signs of waning too, with many returning series posting season-to-season viewership declines. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 The back-to-back champions adding more stars while much of the league declines to spend or trade aggressively has intensified discussion about a potential lockout and demands for a salary cap. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Given her experience, Emily declines to participate in another trial. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026 Hur’s film declines to say who was behind the attack, and its detractors argue the open ending points the finger at Park or his government. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 Don’t wait until performance declines to question your systems, structure or strategy. — James Barlow, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Noun

Things already had been tough internally amid the engagement challenges hurting Netflix’s stock as high-profile series had not performed to expectations and most returning shows have seen viewership declines season-to-season over the past year. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 Sarandos told investors in July that such declines are typical and that second season falloff is slightly improved this year. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Those investments have also lifted the stock market even as a growing swath of other companies have experienced sharp declines in their share prices. — Rob Wile, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026 Thursday’s reading rose 3 percent from the week prior, rebounding after three straight weekly declines. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 Shares of the world's largest chip fabricator are down this morning following declines in six of the past seven sessions. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 According to the study, published in Neurology, people who got more physical activity experienced slower declines in movement and thinking skills over time, suggesting that staying active may be associated with slower disease progression. — Jennifer Fields, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 Our study found physical activity may have dual benefits, with associations with slower declines in movement and cognition. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for declines

Verb

For Wilder residents, the La Catedral raid remains an open wound that refuses to heal.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
After that, Grace all but disappears from Crystal Lake, exposing the haphazard plotting of a show that refuses to commit.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of refuses

Verb

Fencebridge now denies that figure, stating that the comment was made erroneously, and the figure is closer to $24 million — $13 million for ammunition and $11 million for guns.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Foxtrot has been linked to several murders across Europe, and Britain and the US allege the group was behind attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets on behalf of Iran, which denies the allegation.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of denies

Verb

The January 16, 2027 slot once again falls the day after the end of nomination voting in the Academy Awards on January 15, and before the January 21 nominations announcement.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
As night falls, Kenny and Christina are over the moon about their trip.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of falls

Verb

In addition, insulin sensitivity — or how effectively the body responds to the hormone insulin — also generally decreases at night.

— Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 9 Oct. 2026
The drink—also known simply as beet juice—decreases inflammation and is rich in nitrates, which help relax blood vessels and allow blood to flow more freely.

— Christina Manian, HEALTH, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of decreases

Verb

Rather than upside-down loops and corkscrews, the two-decade-old coaster focuses on velocity and downhill plunges.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
While firms have no doubt been following the progress of international regulations and the formation of new standards for years now, supply chain visibility positively plunges beyond Tier 1.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of plunges

Noun

In this case, for instance, Rabtsevich noticed the dips in TIC 4206066's light in 2018 tended to align with moments where TESS fired its thrusters, which may have skewed the results.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
The broad stock market has seen the largest dips, on average, during midterm years compared with any other in the presidential cycle, Detrick's data shows.

— Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026