1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in denies
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in falls
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 deteriorates
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 decreases
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 plunges
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
1
as in deteriorations
a change to a lower state or level
the decline of the Roman Empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dips
a downward slope
the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demises
a loss of status
the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in reductions
the amount by which something is lessened
a huge decline in the value of the artwork after its authenticity was questioned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of declines
Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
If the player declines the qualifying offer, his previous team is entitled to an extra draft pick as compensation.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Popeyes was the only Restaurant Brands division to report same-store sales declines.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
As crime declines, public sentiment among Nashvillians is actually trending in the opposite direction.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
City manager declines to comment on police chief City Manager Sheryl Long declined to comment on the situation with Police Chief Tersea Theetge.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2025
Since the drugs have come on the market, declines in obesity rates have been higher among those between ages 40 and 64, correlating with a higher reliance on GLP-1 medications for that age group.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
To shore up these margins, UPS is still trying to maximize revenue from its parcel network as volume declines.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 Oct. 2025
Overall, from 2025 to 2045, for the elite men, the likelihood of optimal temperatures on race days declines in Tokyo, Boston, London, New York and Berlin.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2025
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
While the stock benchmarks saw sharp declines yesterday, both of them are poised to turn in healthy weekly and monthly gains.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
The podcast segment helped offset declines in music streaming ad revenue (SiriusXM also owns music-streaming site Pandora).
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Across Florida, traditional public school systems have seen steep enrollment declines, including a 14,000-student drop this year in Miami-Dade County.
—Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Ana María Archila, co-director of the left-wing Working Families Party, says Adams doesn’t deserve credit for declines in crime when rates have been falling nationally.
—Molly Ball, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
With birth rates declining and some Americans favoring trade school or going directly to the workforce after high school, universities are preparing for potentially catastrophic declines in enrollment in coming years.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
The combination of a ballooning valuation and huge profit declines since the company’s heyday at the turn of the decade makes the Magic Premium a Halloween ghoul that’s haunting Wall Street.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure — Disney’s chief rivals in Orlando — both saw significant attendance declines in 2024.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Moderating declines at Vans suggest that the brand’s overhaul is taking shape.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
If the player declines the qualifying offer, his previous team is entitled to an extra draft pick as compensation.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Popeyes was the only Restaurant Brands division to report same-store sales declines.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
As crime declines, public sentiment among Nashvillians is actually trending in the opposite direction.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
City manager declines to comment on police chief City Manager Sheryl Long declined to comment on the situation with Police Chief Tersea Theetge.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2025
Since the drugs have come on the market, declines in obesity rates have been higher among those between ages 40 and 64, correlating with a higher reliance on GLP-1 medications for that age group.
—Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025
To shore up these margins, UPS is still trying to maximize revenue from its parcel network as volume declines.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 Oct. 2025
Overall, from 2025 to 2045, for the elite men, the likelihood of optimal temperatures on race days declines in Tokyo, Boston, London, New York and Berlin.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
Already, Lores has ended a cycle of revenue declines with five consecutive quarters of top-line growth.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
While the stock benchmarks saw sharp declines yesterday, both of them are poised to turn in healthy weekly and monthly gains.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
The podcast segment helped offset declines in music streaming ad revenue (SiriusXM also owns music-streaming site Pandora).
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Across Florida, traditional public school systems have seen steep enrollment declines, including a 14,000-student drop this year in Miami-Dade County.
—Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Ana María Archila, co-director of the left-wing Working Families Party, says Adams doesn’t deserve credit for declines in crime when rates have been falling nationally.
—Molly Ball, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
With birth rates declining and some Americans favoring trade school or going directly to the workforce after high school, universities are preparing for potentially catastrophic declines in enrollment in coming years.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
The combination of a ballooning valuation and huge profit declines since the company’s heyday at the turn of the decade makes the Magic Premium a Halloween ghoul that’s haunting Wall Street.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure — Disney’s chief rivals in Orlando — both saw significant attendance declines in 2024.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declines
Verb
-
Many Democrats have adopted a more brash and confrontational style of politics, which refuses to keep anything quiet.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Paul Thomas Anderson fits a generation’s worth of cineplex joys into One Battle After Another, but the revolution refuses to get off the couch.—
Jonathan Lethem,
The New York Review of Books,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ali reiterates her concerns that Anton was different in the pods and denies that his job or ambition were factors in her decision.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Despite his reputation as a womanizer, the former King denies the affair in his memoir.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And King Priam, at great personal risk, shows up with a ransom and falls on his knees and clasps Achilles’ hand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
As Venus and Chiron clash, an attempt to connect with a new acquaintance falls flat.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As the situation deteriorates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany among others have urged their nationals to leave Bamako.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Exposure to such content also deteriorates her audience’s ability to form beliefs on the basis of the evidence and primes them for skepticism toward consequential matters like vaccines and medicine.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When nighttime temperatures consistently stay below 70°F in the South, the grass growth rate significantly decreases.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Supports Heart Health The fiber in corn decreases the absorption of fat and cholesterol in the digestive tract.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond — where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters and the mysterious residents of the Arconia.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
-
While the filmmaker’s first nine movies were modestly budgeted — see Inherent Vice (2014) or Hard Eight (1996) — the $140 million One Battle, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, plunges Anderson into franchise-like economics.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Retail investors have been consistently buying dips throughout 2025, a strategy that has paid off handsomely as the S & P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite have both climbed to all-time highs.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Mic tricks, dips, splits, slides, the whole thing.—
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The mission, the fourth of 2025, would also be Starship's first flight since May 27 amid a year plagued by explosive demises for the vehicle.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
-
But a good time in enviable vacation spots is guaranteed, with ghoulish demises for many principal figures here served up like caviar on sashimi.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Declines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declines. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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