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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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2
as in dips
a downward slope
the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline
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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
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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
Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
As Gustav aims to work his way back into their lives, Nora retreats into isolation as her mental health increasingly declines.
—Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
As flowering declines the kalanchoe can be relocated to a porch or shady area outdoors.
—Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026
The stock advanced 11% last year, even after closing 2025 with six consecutive trading-day declines, and its market capitalization sits well above $1 trillion.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
Keeping up with weight-bearing exercises will also benefit your bone health during a time when skeletal quality naturally declines (especially in women approaching or going through menopause), Olenick says.
—Emma Loewe, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Typically, when quantum systems add more qubits and become more complex, their quality declines.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
The Legate gently declines Lucy by fastening her to a cross.
—Jack King, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
As June's health declines, though, Mirren — who Winslet says has a personal rule of not playing characters with dementia or cancer, but broke that rule for her director — preferred not to discuss the ins and outs of the illness.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
The largest declines were in Massachusetts, down 26, Washington state, down 18, and North Carolina, down 17.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
And Penney and Kohl’s are still seeing sales declines, albeit less severe than just a few quarters ago.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
Advertising revenue fell 17% from the year-earlier period, settling at $110 million, with the company blaming linear ratings declines and lower pricing in the marketplace.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Wingstop Chicken-wing chain Wingstop this week pointed to sales declines in areas made up largely of low-income customers.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
As the chart shows, there have been far fewer 1% moves since then, and hardly any 1% declines until just the past few weeks.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
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
The podcast segment helped offset declines in music streaming ad revenue (SiriusXM also owns music-streaming site Pandora).
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Independent energy analyst Rachel Ziemba, who agrees major oil companies may hesitate, also notes that declines in the price of crude – the raw material for consumer products like gasoline – are often not fully passed on to consumers.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
As Gustav aims to work his way back into their lives, Nora retreats into isolation as her mental health increasingly declines.
—Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
As flowering declines the kalanchoe can be relocated to a porch or shady area outdoors.
—Brian Bell, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026
The stock advanced 11% last year, even after closing 2025 with six consecutive trading-day declines, and its market capitalization sits well above $1 trillion.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
Keeping up with weight-bearing exercises will also benefit your bone health during a time when skeletal quality naturally declines (especially in women approaching or going through menopause), Olenick says.
—Emma Loewe, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Typically, when quantum systems add more qubits and become more complex, their quality declines.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
The Legate gently declines Lucy by fastening her to a cross.
—Jack King, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
As June's health declines, though, Mirren — who Winslet says has a personal rule of not playing characters with dementia or cancer, but broke that rule for her director — preferred not to discuss the ins and outs of the illness.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Noun
Although the study shows that the occurrence of giant planets declines as stars age, the few planets that remain in close orbits around red giants offer valuable insights.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
The largest declines were in Massachusetts, down 26, Washington state, down 18, and North Carolina, down 17.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
And Penney and Kohl’s are still seeing sales declines, albeit less severe than just a few quarters ago.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
Advertising revenue fell 17% from the year-earlier period, settling at $110 million, with the company blaming linear ratings declines and lower pricing in the marketplace.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Wingstop Chicken-wing chain Wingstop this week pointed to sales declines in areas made up largely of low-income customers.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
As the chart shows, there have been far fewer 1% moves since then, and hardly any 1% declines until just the past few weeks.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
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
The podcast segment helped offset declines in music streaming ad revenue (SiriusXM also owns music-streaming site Pandora).
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declines
Verb
-
The place is decaying and strict, but Luna refuses to give in to its rules.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But Chiles refuses to let anyone’s score define her.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Despite the demand letter, Daou denies any allegations the family attempted to steal from the park.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
He is charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery, but denies the allegations.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
So Nude pair falls neatly in line — proof that even in full-metal glamour, minimalism with an edge is having a very good year.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Sabrina Carpenter’s chart-topping Man’s Best Friend slips 5-6 on the latest Billboard 200 with 38,000 equivalent album units earned (down 8%), while Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving falls 6-7 (37,000, down 3%).—
Keith Caulfield,
Billboard,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Backyard cast also features Katie MacNichol as Gladys’ daughter Ellen, Alexander Ameen as Ellen’s husband Howard, and William Huffaker as a young painter from Boston named Don Bowman whom Gladys seeks to help even as her mental state deteriorates.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Prescribed medication is used to manage discomfort, which usually decreases noticeably after the first week.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The teaser plunges viewers into the world of two content creators from contrasting backgrounds who unite for a collaboration fueled by curiosity, social media clout and mutual attraction.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Their love scene in the rain, while obviously less visually spectacular than in the film, plunges headlong into romantic cliches that manage to get the job done despite their obviousness.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The largest dips were in Wyoming, down 99%, followed by Rhode Island, down 90%, and Nevada, down 76%.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
6 Nov. 2025
-
When houses go dark and demand dips, power prices often nosedive.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 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 10 Jan. 2026.
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