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
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Recent Examples of decides
Naturally, Liz decides to create her own rom-com HAE and rope Wes into helping her win Michael’s heart by pretending to fake date each other.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
How the jury weighs Guevara’s refusal to answer questions could factor heavily into how much the city will eventually pay out in the more than two dozen other lawsuits that are still pending against him — or whether the Law Department decides to roll the dice and take some of them to trial.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
There’s a court reporter, the grand jury, the United States attorney, and such witnesses as the United States attorney decides to call.
—John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
The work that doesn’t scream the loudest internally but decides who wins externally.
—Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Super said that regardless of what the board of trustees decides, the name will legally remain as written in the statute.
—Nathan Lee, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
But Evan has long since shut that guy up and decides to do what Stephen would do instead.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
If Frank decides to stick with the back three on Tuesday night, and given Romero and Danso are both out, the obvious thing would be to have Dragusin, Van de Ven and Palhinha.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Whatever the Supreme Court decides, 82 percent of American adults believe the president must obey the decision.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
How the jury weighs Guevara’s refusal to answer questions could factor heavily into how much the city will eventually pay out in the more than two dozen other lawsuits that are still pending against him — or whether the Law Department decides to roll the dice and take some of them to trial.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
There’s a court reporter, the grand jury, the United States attorney, and such witnesses as the United States attorney decides to call.
—John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
The work that doesn’t scream the loudest internally but decides who wins externally.
—Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Super said that regardless of what the board of trustees decides, the name will legally remain as written in the statute.
—Nathan Lee, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
But Evan has long since shut that guy up and decides to do what Stephen would do instead.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
If Frank decides to stick with the back three on Tuesday night, and given Romero and Danso are both out, the obvious thing would be to have Dragusin, Van de Ven and Palhinha.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Whatever the Supreme Court decides, 82 percent of American adults believe the president must obey the decision.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decides
Verb
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Once the soil is ready, Ryan chooses an appropriately sized container for each succulent.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
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Life is for love to be fully present and ingrained in every action that one chooses to do.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Candidates don’t always honor their party’s endorsement and will sometimes advance to the August primary election, which officially determines the party nominee.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Each agency determines what work is essential or not.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The idea of an in-person meeting is suggested, and several years later, Porter arranges it.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
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The program has a booking agency that arranges travel, when needed, and a program consultant meets the player in his city to accompany him.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And as that low light settles in, my whole body shifts in spirit.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
After this brief stretch of colder weather, a steady warming trend is expected from Thursday through Sunday as the ridge of high pressure to our west slowly shifts east and settles over Texas.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Its name derives from the Arabic jauhar, meaning jewel.—
Jeff Chu,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
-
And Panahi derives an almost nausea-inducing tension by playing on our doubts throughout the film.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Katakturuk opts for the Atlantic, making his way over thousands of miles of ocean, then journeying across west across Canada to meet his one true love.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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People were worn down by the waiting patterns imposed upon them by the state; in this film, the couple opts to break free through artistic expression, and mounting a new, dissident work.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Chiefs’ personnel department considers the long view, which is where assistant general manager Chris Shea factors in, working closely with Veach on long-term roster management.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
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The firm considers homes affordable when a typical buyer can purchase a house for less than one-third of their income.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Donovan understands the importance of building a roster the right way.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Veteran shoe designer Paul Andrew understands the challenges of winning in a competitive luxury footwear sector.—
Katie Abel,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decides.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decides. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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