1
as in chooses
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in determines
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 arranges
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 settles
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 derives
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 decides
So in that sense, a lot of what clipping does is help good artists find the audiences who would’ve liked them anyway by accelerating the early excitement just enough to push them past the algorithmic threshold that decides who gets discovered and who doesn’t.
—
Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
And the audience, Hammond has come to understand, is ultimately the one who decides.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
It’s gone from a back-office team to the function that decides whether a business can weather geopolitical storms.
—Alex Saric, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
If the company decides the drug is a good fit for the patient, those details are then submitted to the FDA.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Whatever Hoskins decides could have major implications for the upcoming elections.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
After much discussion, the council whittled that list down to three options before asking staffers to conduct more research before the council decides whether to put those choices to voters.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
What California decides — and when — will matter at the national level.
—Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Disgraced and outcast from the world of intelligence, all bets are off when Brad decides to go after the 15 million dollar federal bounty on the assassin’s head.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
And the audience, Hammond has come to understand, is ultimately the one who decides.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
It’s gone from a back-office team to the function that decides whether a business can weather geopolitical storms.
—Alex Saric, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
If the company decides the drug is a good fit for the patient, those details are then submitted to the FDA.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Whatever Hoskins decides could have major implications for the upcoming elections.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
After much discussion, the council whittled that list down to three options before asking staffers to conduct more research before the council decides whether to put those choices to voters.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
What California decides — and when — will matter at the national level.
—Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Disgraced and outcast from the world of intelligence, all bets are off when Brad decides to go after the 15 million dollar federal bounty on the assassin’s head.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decides
Verb
-
Watch which benchmarks Google chooses to show on stage.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The league then chooses the team’s general managers.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The general election determines officeholders for statewide positions, including for Georgia governor and lieutenant governor, both of which have no incumbents running.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
If Hoskins determines that the referendum does not qualify for the ballot, that decision is also poised to spark another round of legal battles to decide the fate of the campaign.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
In Bilt’s model, Kerr said, a member books through Resy or OpenTable, the system automatically arranges a Lyft to the restaurant, payment processes through Toast at the table, and the loyalty points post — without anyone coordinating the chain.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
Next, Butac arranges a bunch of the beans on two trays and roasts them for a specific amount of time before separating the shells from the beans and then running the bean fragments, also known as nibs, through a mill.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Venturella’s appointment comes as Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin settles into his role atop the Cabinet agency overseeing ICE.—
Heather Hollingsworth,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
There will be both winners and losers when the dust settles.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
In the United States, more than 40 people are being monitored for the Andes virus, a type of hantavirus, which derives from rodents.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
The Kayak Point name derives from a small area being carved out to launch a potential access point on Salt Creek for kayaks and canoes.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Stanley Tucci opts for a striped black suit for a special screening of Tucci in Italy Season 2 in London on May 8.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
As the employee revolt builds, Google’s management reverses course and opts not to renew the lucrative military relationship.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Lehmann considers the contested history of Anne Boleyn, the outlandish accusations against her, and the ways in which her image has been erased and changed over time.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal, undivided capital.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Peace returns when everyone understands what is being shared.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
The director understands immediately.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decides.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decides. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
