as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in decline
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in refusing
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 denying
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in falling
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 deteriorating
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 decreasing
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 plunging
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 declining
Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Mar. 2021
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.
—Fox News, 15 May 2020
During replanting, remove dead and declining portions, including old roots.
—Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 26 May 2018
The team then built mathematical models using the same data to assess how declining immunity might affect the susceptibility of the U.S. population.
—Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, 21 Mar. 2018
According to a new analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, 81 percent of the United States population is in an income bracket with flat or declining income over the last decade.
—Neil Irwin, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2016
Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
Poverty, lack of transportation to school and mental health struggles contribute to absenteeism and declining enrollment across San Diego County.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The race unfolds as district confronts superintendent under FBI investigation, declining enrollment, potential strike and incomplete academic recovery from pandemic.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Reports in 2024 and 2025 indicated declining health, including low blood pressure, dizziness and heart problems, but these claims could not be independently verified.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Now these countries, like much of the world, are facing declining birth rates that threaten to upend their economies.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
During a hearing about the 2026 report, DDS Commissioner Jordan Scheff told lawmakers that he had been concerned about declining reports of abuse and neglect during COVID and that 2024’s high numbers reflect training and reporting systems that have empowered staff to file more reports.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Six Flags is struggling financially amid declining visitors and even closing parks to shed debt.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Despite a strong debut in initial Emerson polling back in September 2025, Porter's numbers have been steadily declining.
—Anne Bryson, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.
—Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Mar. 2021
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.
—Fox News, 15 May 2020
During replanting, remove dead and declining portions, including old roots.
—Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 26 May 2018
The team then built mathematical models using the same data to assess how declining immunity might affect the susceptibility of the U.S. population.
—Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, 21 Mar. 2018
According to a new analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, 81 percent of the United States population is in an income bracket with flat or declining income over the last decade.
—Neil Irwin, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2016
Noun
Reports showing inflation and unemployment declining have subsequently been released, and a nominee for the Federal Reserve chairman role has since been announced.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 8 May 2026
Poverty, lack of transportation to school and mental health struggles contribute to absenteeism and declining enrollment across San Diego County.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The race unfolds as district confronts superintendent under FBI investigation, declining enrollment, potential strike and incomplete academic recovery from pandemic.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Reports in 2024 and 2025 indicated declining health, including low blood pressure, dizziness and heart problems, but these claims could not be independently verified.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Now these countries, like much of the world, are facing declining birth rates that threaten to upend their economies.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
During a hearing about the 2026 report, DDS Commissioner Jordan Scheff told lawmakers that he had been concerned about declining reports of abuse and neglect during COVID and that 2024’s high numbers reflect training and reporting systems that have empowered staff to file more reports.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Six Flags is struggling financially amid declining visitors and even closing parks to shed debt.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Despite a strong debut in initial Emerson polling back in September 2025, Porter's numbers have been steadily declining.
—Anne Bryson, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
Noun
-
An earlier study, published in the American Economic Journal, found that field-office closures led to a sixteen-per-cent decline in disability recipients in the surrounding areas.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
The clues are all in his writing, the structure of the sentence, the tracking of it, the fast decline into being inebriated.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Strickland then mocked Chimaev for refusing to fight in the parking lot.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Baldoni later accused a trio of other insurers of breach of contract for refusing to cover litigation costs.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
In Uthmeier’s mind, the world is unfairly denying white men careers as head coaches and coffeehouse baristas.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
In effectively denying the zoning measures sought by the county, the planning board on Wednesday reversed course on a previous 2018 approval by the same body, though with some different members, of essentially the same county plan.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Bishop Moore junior Lucas Magro went 2-1 in the individual singles bracket and took the top seed, William Freshwater of Barron Collier, to a tiebreaker before falling 1-6, 6-1, (10-3).—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the Pistons were sloppy with the ball and careless overall in a 94-88 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round Eastern Conference series.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The poll also points to broader economic malaise; 55% of Americans say recent price increases have led to financial hardship, and the same number say their financial situation is deteriorating.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In all cases, companies are reporting a surge in oil trading activity, tempered somewhat by the deteriorating outlook for natural gas production, stemming from Iranian air strikes severely damaging crucial gas production sites in the Gulf.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As recently reported through KPBS, this progress has led to rents decreasing by about 5%.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Several years ago, MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred enacted changes meant to speed up the game through better pace of play, keeping the same amount of action in baseball while decreasing the time each game took to finish.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Shares have rebounded 32% this year after plunging between 2022 and 2025.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
-
More accumulation was expected with temperatures plunging overnight and the heaviest snow continuing into Wednesday morning.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 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
Cite this Entry
“Declining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declining. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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