decide

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb decide differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of decide are determine, resolve, rule, and settle. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When can determine be used instead of decide?

Although the words determine and decide have much in common, determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

In what contexts can resolve take the place of decide?

The synonyms resolve and decide are sometimes interchangeable, but resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

When might rule be a better fit than decide?

In some situations, the words rule and decide are roughly equivalent. However, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

When is settle a more appropriate choice than decide?

While the synonyms settle and decide are close in meaning, settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decide But DeSantis appears to be hoping that Trump’s early endorsement won’t decide the 2026 governor’s race. Kirby Wilson, Sun Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025 Each federal agency decides which services and employees are essential, which typically includes law enforcement officers, national security agents, active duty military personnel, and federal prison guards. Nik Popli, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025 But when Allie decides to give her ex-fiance a second chance and jilts her new flatmate, Hedra’s demure demeanor begins to shift and increasingly sour. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025 Not least of which, how exactly does best picture get decided? Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decide
Verb
  • Those on the college track might choose a school abroad, an option no longer reserved for the wealthy.
    Lisa Z. Lindahl, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • For all the doubt that antivaccine advocates, including RFK, Jr., have sowed around childhood immunizations, for all the political proclamations of conscientious objection and the freedom to choose, this child did not have a choice.
    Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Clashes reportedly continued overnight into Sunday but CNN was unable to determine the full extent of the unrest.
    Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Here are four simple questions that can determine longevity of your connection.
    Mark Travers, Contributor, CNBC, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Three years later, Ade arranged a romantic trip to Italy for the couple with the intention of asking Houston to be his wife.
    Megan Pinckney Rutherford, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2025
  • In 1894, Ah Say arranged to have a hundred-and-thirty-foot ceremonial dragon delivered for the community’s annual New Year celebration.
    Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Slotkin spoke from Wyandotte, Mich., a working-class community south of Detroit, as Democrats struggle to settle on a unified message to combat Trump, which was on full display Tuesday night as Trump delivered the longest address to Congress by a president in U.S. history.
    Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Slotkin’s spoke from Wyandotte, Michigan, a working-class community south of Detroit, as Democrats struggle to settle on a unified message to combat Trump, which was on full display Tuesday night as Trump delivered the longest address to Congress by a president in U.S. history.
    Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The real stories of the game and its people from someone who lives it and understands it better than any member of the media who has never played the game ever could.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Plus, the startup is also building out its use of AI to understand complex datasets and more.
    Zoya Hasan, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In 2022, Dolton voters opted to recall Henyard, but an appellate court ruled the vote was invalid.
    R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Milwaukee moved him into a relief role late last season, in part to manage his workload but also to prepare him for a possible call-up but ultimately, the organization opted to leave him in the minors down the stretch.
    Andrew Wagner, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • At McDonald’s, she was judged on both the restaurant’s performance, as well as her own.
    Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The contest was judged by DAR member and film producer Blessing Joao, local actor and filmmaker Tony Janick and Los Altos History Museum Executive Director Anna Toledano.
    Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Instead, smaller, specialized models are derived from these larger models to handle specific tasks efficiently.
    Amit Verma, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The results derived from a random sampling of 1,004 adults aged 18 and over living in all 50 states, based on phone interviews, with a margin of error plus or minus four percent and with a 95 percent confidence level.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decide. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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