1
as in to refuse
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
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2
as in to deny
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
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3
as in to fall
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years
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4
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death
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5
as in to decrease
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 to plunge
to lead or extend downward
the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles
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1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
her sad decline from a robust athlete to an old woman with arthritis
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2
as in declination
a change to a lower state or level
the decline of the Roman Empire
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3
as in downhill
a downward slope
the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline
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4
as in demise
a loss of status
the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline
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5
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
a huge decline in the value of the artwork after its authenticity was questioned
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of decline
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Through a representative, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon declined to comment to CNN.
—Lex Harvey and Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
Related Articles Domestic manufacturers added 10,000 jobs last month, despite a 1,200-person decline at apparel factories.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Verb
An attorney for the plaintiffs declined to comment.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Through a representative, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon declined to comment to CNN.
—Lex Harvey and Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
Print stayed mostly flat at $3.04 billion, with a 1% gain in ad revenue but a 1% decline in subscriptions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025
Related Articles Domestic manufacturers added 10,000 jobs last month, despite a 1,200-person decline at apparel factories.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decline
Verb
-
The panel of House and Senate members argued over whether to punish the universities for their DEI initiatives — diversity, equity and inclusion — or whether to reward the schools for recent actions, like refusing to compete with a volleyball team with a transgender athlete.—
Carolyn Komatsoulis,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The retro approach has been years in the making, with Trump refusing to back down in the face of a tumbling stock market and public recriminations from the United States’ top allies.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The original post about Hailey's like has seemingly been removed and the model has denied the allegations through a rep.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citing Trump's executive order that the U.S. now only recognizes two sexes, male and female, says if the gender listed on an applicant's passport does not match their gender assigned at birth, their travel permit or visa application can be denied.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
However, that fight fell apart in early March, when a hand injury forced Whyte from the card.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield fell as low as 4% as investors turned to bonds in their search for safety.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Additionally, inspectors said, grout had deteriorated between floor tiles at the cook’s line.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Based on the aforementioned trends, employment outcomes haven’t gotten better over the past decade and are likely to deteriorate further.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
However, their wage bills only decreased by 28 per cent.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Keeping those cuts on the books would decrease revenue by $4.5 trillion from 2025 through 2034, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Her investigation plunges her into the heart of a life-changing event, providing her with a front-row seat to the chaos and intrigue of a bloody political firestorm.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Global stock markets plunged the day after the announcement, with major indexes across Europe, Asia, and the United States seeing steep declines.—
Sergei Klebnikov,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Kahle, who early on recognized the ephemeral nature of the web, said the rapid deterioration of the living web is a serious threat to historical preservation.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Of course, however, a severe deterioration in the U.S. economy would have global repercussions.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In contrast, during 2016-16 the lunar declination varied from only 18.5 degrees north to 18.5 degrees south.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Red and declinations to rust and burgundy at Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta.—
WWD,
WWD,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Decline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decline. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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