as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
a decided hint of perfume on her skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in opted
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration
they decided to go out for pizza after the movie was over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in determined
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute)
the judge decided that the defendant was not liable for damages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arranged
to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of
we waited for our captors to decide our fate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in settled
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute
the huge sum that they were offering decided the matter: we would sell the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in derived
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information
the commanding officer decided that the soldier was indeed telling the truth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 decided
Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Follow pre-decided processes to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary emotional labor.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
There was a decided buzz at the convention for Hoerner, whose high approval rating was apparent as trade rumors swirled.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
That price gain is a decided cooling from the 39% jump between 2019 and 2022.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2025
Households are broadly cutting their discretionary spending and making a decided turn toward the practical.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 12 June 2024
Social media reaction is mixed, albeit with a decided tilt toward outrage.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
They’re confined to a pre-decided go-zone.
—Hannah Fry, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2018
Among decided voters, 86 percent of those who voted for the Ennahda and 84 percent of those who supported the FJP in the last elections would vote for them again.
—Lindsay Benstead, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2013
Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Lasser decided to leave the show in 1977, signaling its end.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Lindy Ruff decided to keep the Buffalo Sabres off the ice between Games 5 and 6.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 May 2026
After 28 years at FOX News Channel, Cavuto, a business journalist at the network, decided to leave.
—Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
And the 2024 presidential race was a sleepy affair in Florida with minimal advertising after both candidates decided to focus their energies elsewhere.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 17 May 2026
During this tumultuous period, Ahangarani decided to follow in her father’s filmmaking footsteps — as well as those of her mother, the director, producer and screenwriter Manijeh Hekmat (Women’s Prison) — by becoming a child actor, then a professional who went on to star in nearly 40 features.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Suppose a mid-sized company has decided to deploy internally an AI agent that will assist in choosing vendors that the firm will make use of.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
But Maple and her husband together decided to continue.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
Adjective
The Associated Press reports most independent polls show Orbán and his party, Fidesz, running a double-digit deficit behind his main opponent, Péter Magyar, among decided voters.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Follow pre-decided processes to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary emotional labor.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
There was a decided buzz at the convention for Hoerner, whose high approval rating was apparent as trade rumors swirled.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
That price gain is a decided cooling from the 39% jump between 2019 and 2022.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2025
Households are broadly cutting their discretionary spending and making a decided turn toward the practical.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 12 June 2024
Social media reaction is mixed, albeit with a decided tilt toward outrage.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
They’re confined to a pre-decided go-zone.
—Hannah Fry, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2018
Among decided voters, 86 percent of those who voted for the Ennahda and 84 percent of those who supported the FJP in the last elections would vote for them again.
—Lindsay Benstead, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2013
Verb
For the cover of the May 25, 2026, issue, the artist Kadir Nelson decided to paint a tribute to the city’s budding artists.
—Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Lasser decided to leave the show in 1977, signaling its end.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Lindy Ruff decided to keep the Buffalo Sabres off the ice between Games 5 and 6.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 May 2026
After 28 years at FOX News Channel, Cavuto, a business journalist at the network, decided to leave.
—Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
And the 2024 presidential race was a sleepy affair in Florida with minimal advertising after both candidates decided to focus their energies elsewhere.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 17 May 2026
During this tumultuous period, Ahangarani decided to follow in her father’s filmmaking footsteps — as well as those of her mother, the director, producer and screenwriter Manijeh Hekmat (Women’s Prison) — by becoming a child actor, then a professional who went on to star in nearly 40 features.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Suppose a mid-sized company has decided to deploy internally an AI agent that will assist in choosing vendors that the firm will make use of.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
But Maple and her husband together decided to continue.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decided
Adjective
-
The old gunslinger makes the most of an AFC without an obvious favorite and rides off after one last trip into the playoffs, this one coming with a postseason win.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Neural activation and event consolidation seem too bureaucratic, even obvious.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead, Ujiri opted for a complete cultural reset.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
-
Instead of launching strikes on Cuban military bases, Clinton opted to support a bill to impose much tougher restrictions on Cuba.—
Carmen Sesin,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The cause of death has not been determined, though investigators said the baby was full-term when he was found.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
The Sparks were determined to end a season-opening four-game homestand with their second straight win against Toronto.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The product is a cluster of six lie-flat sleep pods arranged in three tiers — the setup is essentially bunk beds in the sky — between the economy and premium economy cabins on its newest Boeing 787-9 aircraft.—
Chris Dong,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
People sating their desires for food and company no longer need seedy hotels or hastily arranged Facebook events, now that brick-and-mortar spaces like Aikens’s restaurant exist.—
Victoria M. Walker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, sophomore pitcher Meredith Hambric settled in nicely, keeping Guyer off the scoreboard for five consecutive innings.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 May 2026
-
Perhaps, but Alonso’s attentive gaze reworks the meaning of excitement such that a banal exchange with the nearby farmhand, and a drive into the nearby village, provide minor thrills — that is, if you’re properly settled onto Alonso’s serenely sluggish wavelength.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Anyone who’s seen enough adaptations knows the difference between one that strives to apprehend the source material and one that feels derived from a Wikipedia summary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
The material, known as SAM, combines protein sequences derived from mussels, spider silk and amyloids, proteins capable of forming strong fibrous structures.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Georgia city’s northwest Buckhead neighborhood has been overrun in the last couple of weeks by empty, driverless ride-share vehicles due to an apparent routing behavior issue.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
Their apparent approach will culminate in a spectacular conjunction on June 9, when the two brightest planets in the night sky appear exceptionally close together after sunset.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
For years, marketers have been judged by lead counts, but those days are gone.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
Speaking from personal experience, there’s something intrinsically intimidating about being silently judged by an accomplished HR representative over a pixelated Zoom call.—
Ben Ambridge,
JSTOR Daily,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decided.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decided. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
