as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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
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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
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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
as in decline
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Dissimilar Words
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
Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
That growing influencer base among podcasters contrasts with the declining reach of legacy TV networks and cable channels.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
With the growing demand and declining or flat supply, the price of trucks has skyrocketed.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Twenty-six of the 28 shorebird species relatively common in North America are declining.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The super tuskers are part of a small and declining population, emphasizing the importance of their conservation.
—Gaby Keiderling, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
The clash over the Fed comes after Trump railed for months against the central bank and its Chair Jerome Powell for declining to heed his call for lower interest rates.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025
In 2025, confidence in meeting retirement goals is declining among Americans.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Numerous factors could be affecting Miami-Dade and Broward County public school enrollment numbers, including declining birth rates and population shifts.
—Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Burberry's share price has fallen sharply over recent years, declining almost 80% from April 2023 to September 2024, as waning sales and a slew of management changes exacerbated a wider luxury downturn.
—Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
That growing influencer base among podcasters contrasts with the declining reach of legacy TV networks and cable channels.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
With the growing demand and declining or flat supply, the price of trucks has skyrocketed.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Twenty-six of the 28 shorebird species relatively common in North America are declining.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The super tuskers are part of a small and declining population, emphasizing the importance of their conservation.
—Gaby Keiderling, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
The clash over the Fed comes after Trump railed for months against the central bank and its Chair Jerome Powell for declining to heed his call for lower interest rates.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025
In 2025, confidence in meeting retirement goals is declining among Americans.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Numerous factors could be affecting Miami-Dade and Broward County public school enrollment numbers, including declining birth rates and population shifts.
—Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
Verb
-
Anisimova dialed in, desperately refusing to give Osaka any openings.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
His staff acknowledged congratulatory comments on social media and posted photos of an encounter with someone whose car window was shattered after refusing to open it.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That’s until their cover in California Schemin’ as rapping imposters was blown and the emotional strain of denying their Scottishness and their fractured friendship revealed itself.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
-
At the time, a source told PEOPLE that Teefey and Gomez, Wondermind's chief impact officer, both stepped in to take action for their employees, while denying that Teefey took out a loan to pay salaries.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And customers are falling for it.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Other big stories ➤ The median rent on a one-bedroom Phoenix-area apartment is falling after the region led the nation in price increases in 2021.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In both Camp 6 and another detention facility, migrants reported unsanitary conditions, poor hygiene and deteriorating infrastructure.—
Mauricio Torres,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
-
By then, the humanitarian situation was deteriorating quickly.—
Tom Bowman,
NPR,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the first fiscal quarter ended June 28, sales in Greater China were down 5 percent, with mainland China decreasing 4 percent.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Use a Weighted Vest Weight loss requires increasing daily physical activity, decreasing daily caloric intake, or both.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Observers warn that any attempt to disarm it by force risks plunging the country into civil conflict.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Some might argue that the United States is risking plunging itself into an ethically questionable war, but that is unlikely.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Paluel faced similar power declines in 2016 when a steam generator weighing more than 450 tons collapsed while being moved, causing the plant to be shut down before coming back online a year later.—
Theo Burman
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The world is also facing exponential declines in biodiversity, primarily among insects.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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 8 Sep. 2025.
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