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
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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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
The lottery will also assign waitlist positions to the remaining students in tier 2 and below if a student declines the funding.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Among them is a purple dye drawn from a sea snail found along the coast, a resource that has become increasingly difficult to gather as the species declines.
—María Teresa Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Most publications focused on business journalism suffered circulation declines during the Depression, but none was hurt more than The Wall Street Journal.
—Chris Roush, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
At the same time, the USPS has become increasingly dependent on package delivery as first-class mail declines, making large customers like Amazon even more important.
—Barbara Booth, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026
Shulman teases features like that on the way for Suno but declines to divulge more.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
As the number of living survivors declines, organizers say the responsibility to preserve these stories is shifting.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Roughly 5% of WLFI’s supply is now collateral on Dolomite, so if WLFI declines significantly in value, the collateral could be liquidated, Vaiman said.
—Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Emily Guskin, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
In five of the prior seven quarters, the company posted year-over-year declines in revenue.
—Samantha Subin,katie Tarasov, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Generally, creditors become more open to negotiation as the likelihood of full repayment declines.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Ford has also seen its own declines in China, where sales fell to 288,000 in 2022 from a peak of 853,000 in 2016.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Kennedy’s argument in the hearing—and his book—is that improvements in nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation led to large declines in infant and child deaths during the 20th century—not vaccines.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
District officials say that amount is unlikely to fully offset the financial and operational strain of sharing campuses, particularly as enrollment declines in traditional Miami-Dade public schools.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The declines have been escalating in recent months.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026
Scaling back government services to match such declines is notoriously difficult.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
The Bears are looking for tax breaks and incentives, but all that will do the Bears no good if part of their fan support declines.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
The lottery will also assign waitlist positions to the remaining students in tier 2 and below if a student declines the funding.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Among them is a purple dye drawn from a sea snail found along the coast, a resource that has become increasingly difficult to gather as the species declines.
—María Teresa Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Most publications focused on business journalism suffered circulation declines during the Depression, but none was hurt more than The Wall Street Journal.
—Chris Roush, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
At the same time, the USPS has become increasingly dependent on package delivery as first-class mail declines, making large customers like Amazon even more important.
—Barbara Booth, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026
Shulman teases features like that on the way for Suno but declines to divulge more.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
As the number of living survivors declines, organizers say the responsibility to preserve these stories is shifting.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Roughly 5% of WLFI’s supply is now collateral on Dolomite, so if WLFI declines significantly in value, the collateral could be liquidated, Vaiman said.
—Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
Despite Republicans being the only partisan group to rate the economy positively in the index, their economic rating dropped 15 points between March and April, larger than declines among Democrats or independents.
—Emily Guskin, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
In five of the prior seven quarters, the company posted year-over-year declines in revenue.
—Samantha Subin,katie Tarasov, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Generally, creditors become more open to negotiation as the likelihood of full repayment declines.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Ford has also seen its own declines in China, where sales fell to 288,000 in 2022 from a peak of 853,000 in 2016.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Kennedy’s argument in the hearing—and his book—is that improvements in nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation led to large declines in infant and child deaths during the 20th century—not vaccines.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
District officials say that amount is unlikely to fully offset the financial and operational strain of sharing campuses, particularly as enrollment declines in traditional Miami-Dade public schools.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The declines have been escalating in recent months.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2026
Scaling back government services to match such declines is notoriously difficult.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declines
Verb
-
The play is dominated by Lithgow’s towering portrait of the artist as a weary old giant who refuses to concede an inch of ground.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Others rely on patience, research, and the fact that the ground itself refuses to be reduced to one easy headline.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
OpenAI denies that support emails tell users how to re-register with a new email address after accounts are deactivated.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Pentagon denies any food issues on ships.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lawrence, though, is widely regarded as a top-five player at his position, whereas Greenard falls around 15th among edge rushers in most meaningful metrics.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The 44% theory Steve Dittmore admits that his research interest, the relationship of athletics and enrollment at small colleges, falls pretty far outside of the mainstream, even in the already-niche world of sports and higher ed.—
Mark Dent,
thehustle.co,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Architectonics takes this murky style and plunges it to a new deep, incorporating the bronze gong and chime sounds of gamelan while burying his rhythms in dense, dubby layers of incense smoke.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Similar deteriorations took place in Tuscany and in Naples.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
MicroStockHub/Getty Images The mortgage rate dips that may have seemed like brief but temporary reprieves just a few weeks ago are starting to look more like a trend.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Oven mitts or snow gloves may have been used to prevent you from inadvertently clawing your skin off, while dips in oatmeal may have offered some temporary relief.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Declines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declines. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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