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
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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
Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
However, Gallup's polling also shows declining support among Republicans.
—Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
The town’s only other water resource is groundwater, which is rapidly declining in the Cave Creek area.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Discovery Global’s collection of linear cable networks, such as TNT, TBS and CNN, faces declining advertising rates on top of annual cable subscriptions that are falling by the millions.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Many vocational fields now face worsening personnel shortages, primarily due to an aging workforce and declining birth rates.
—Stephen Tave, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Mamdani's victory as the Democratic candidate also comes during a time of declining Democratic support among Indian-Americans nationwide.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
The country’s bear population is increasing, perhaps because the human population is declining and abandoning rural settlements.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Years of declining rainfall had left Maui dangerously dry, an example of how climate change supercharges conditions that make wildfires more common and more catastrophic.
—Josh Green, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
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
Verb
Autophagy means detecting and removing cells that are declining in functional capacity and replacing them with new cells.
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
However, Gallup's polling also shows declining support among Republicans.
—Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
The town’s only other water resource is groundwater, which is rapidly declining in the Cave Creek area.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Discovery Global’s collection of linear cable networks, such as TNT, TBS and CNN, faces declining advertising rates on top of annual cable subscriptions that are falling by the millions.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Many vocational fields now face worsening personnel shortages, primarily due to an aging workforce and declining birth rates.
—Stephen Tave, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Mamdani's victory as the Democratic candidate also comes during a time of declining Democratic support among Indian-Americans nationwide.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
The country’s bear population is increasing, perhaps because the human population is declining and abandoning rural settlements.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Years of declining rainfall had left Maui dangerously dry, an example of how climate change supercharges conditions that make wildfires more common and more catastrophic.
—Josh Green, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
Noun
-
However, the league is looking to its next steps to after the 2025 season saw a 5% decline in game attendance, according to Sports Business Journal.—
Jessica Golden,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But their party went into swift decline during the Cold War that began in the late 1940s and barely exists today.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Wisconsin faithful stayed put, drenched and delirious, as if refusing to let the night slip away like so many before it.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In the meantime, the day-to-day work is on us—looking at our money honestly, making strategic moves, and refusing to let an unfair system keep us from building something better for ourselves and the next generation.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Indonesian government cited security and safety concerns for denying the visas, but an Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that the country's security team gave clearance to its athletes.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The township's planning commission voted in late September to recommend denying rezoning for the project, which still must go before the county planning commission and township board.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Yet in practice, America is now collecting billions from importers, much of it falling on carbon-intensive goods and places.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In the last 28 years, Alaska's rural school districts have made close to 1,800 requests to the state for money to maintain and repair deteriorating schools, but only 14% of those requests have been approved.—
Emily Schwing,
NPR,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Fiserv attributed its slowing growth to Argentina’s deteriorating economic environment, as the country last year contributed 10 percentage points to Fiserv’s 16% organic growth rate.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The effect of climate change on traditional bear food sources, a steep population decline in rural areas, and the decreasing number of hunters have been cited as factors driving the rise in bear encounters.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The years of horrific violence have weakened Sudan, plunging its institutions into chaos and making its population more vulnerable and poorer.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Elon Musk turned off many potential buyers of his Tesla cars and sent sales plunging with his foray into politics.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 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 17 Nov. 2025.
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