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
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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
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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Ethan Stone, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Distribution revenue was $858 million as vs $870 million on net subscriber declines.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 May 2026
Players have less time to recover, preparation suffers and the overall quality of play declines.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Once a bromeliad flowers, the original plant gradually declines.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
Anchusa can be sheared back to the crown since its foliage declines rapidly after flowering.
—Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 9 May 2026
As a result, land owners have continued to build new housing supply, even as demand declines.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 8 May 2026
As more repeat purchases become automated, the need for store trips declines, shopping moves from browsing to outcome setting, and consumers express a goal once, and the system increasingly manages the rest.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
Persistent declines in visitation threaten the long-term viability of these places.
—Kyle Manley, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 18 May 2026
This year might not be any different, with the pros looking for single-digit declines in both revenues and profits.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Sales at Li Auto have been under pressure over the past 12 months, with year-on-year declines persisting across much of the period, signaling a tougher market backdrop.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
Winters and unincorporated areas experienced the steepest declines, with homelessness falling by more than 45%.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026
Sudden declines in school performance, secrecy, irritability or new risk-taking behaviors may warrant closer attention.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
The other four showed no significant association, though the study authors wrote that those clocks tend to be less sensitive to detecting biological declines.
—Allison Forsyth, Health, 15 May 2026
Research from Education Next shows the declines are not only in older grades, but also in pre-K and kindergarten.
—Tina Dello Russo, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
The data also show a more recent turnaround, with declines in such crime and improved clearance rates.
—Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
Verb
When a security system declines a valid purchase, the customer often abandons the cart and moves to a competitor.
—Ethan Stone, USA Today, 11 May 2026
Distribution revenue was $858 million as vs $870 million on net subscriber declines.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 May 2026
Players have less time to recover, preparation suffers and the overall quality of play declines.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Once a bromeliad flowers, the original plant gradually declines.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
Anchusa can be sheared back to the crown since its foliage declines rapidly after flowering.
—Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 9 May 2026
As a result, land owners have continued to build new housing supply, even as demand declines.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 8 May 2026
As more repeat purchases become automated, the need for store trips declines, shopping moves from browsing to outcome setting, and consumers express a goal once, and the system increasingly manages the rest.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
Persistent declines in visitation threaten the long-term viability of these places.
—Kyle Manley, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Noun
Further declines in home prices would deepen the hit to household balance sheets, said Lizzi Lee, a fellow at Center for China Analysis, noting that the property downturn has already inflicted significant job losses across construction and related sectors.
—Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 18 May 2026
This year might not be any different, with the pros looking for single-digit declines in both revenues and profits.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Sales at Li Auto have been under pressure over the past 12 months, with year-on-year declines persisting across much of the period, signaling a tougher market backdrop.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
Winters and unincorporated areas experienced the steepest declines, with homelessness falling by more than 45%.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026
Sudden declines in school performance, secrecy, irritability or new risk-taking behaviors may warrant closer attention.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
The other four showed no significant association, though the study authors wrote that those clocks tend to be less sensitive to detecting biological declines.
—Allison Forsyth, Health, 15 May 2026
Research from Education Next shows the declines are not only in older grades, but also in pre-K and kindergarten.
—Tina Dello Russo, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026
The data also show a more recent turnaround, with declines in such crime and improved clearance rates.
—Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declines
Verb
-
Footloose is also name-checked, which is technically not a horror movie but is about a small town that stubbornly refuses to change.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
Hunter is stubborn, arrogant and gifted enough to play for the Briar hockey team, yet refuses to for reasons the show has yet to reveal.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Swalwell denies the allegations.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Iran denies ever withdrawing from the Venice Biennale, and the Somalia Pavilion sparks controversy.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Chelsea’s squad demographic falls somewhere in between but is probably closer to the former than the latter, and a football legend with his resume should not encounter the authority problems faced by owner BlueCo’s previous hires.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
And that’s why—but that doesn’t make sense because the money falls from the ceiling.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
That is why a hedge here makes sense while markets sit near highs, VIX remains compressed near the high teens, and investors are still leaning heavily into a handful of leadership names as the macro backdrop deteriorates.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
-
Hospitals use the same billing codes for the ER visit, whether a patient’s condition deteriorates or not.—
Andrew Jones,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If earlier American Football records hinted at adult disillusionment, LP4 plunges cannon ball-style into it.—
Jonathan Cohen,
SPIN,
1 May 2026
-
Ernaux’s signature method of resisting interpretation and incarnating the past plunges us into this girl’s experience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Similar deteriorations took place in Tuscany and in Naples.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With several senior players experiencing prolonged dips in form, Mason Greenwood has again been Marseille’s most effective performer, scoring 26 goals in 44 matches across all competitions and being named in the Ligue 1 team of the season.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Locals also love a good sauna followed by refreshing dips in cool water, and welcome guests to try it out for themselves, too.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Declines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declines. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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