as in decisive
serving to put an end to all debate or questioning
the project's prohibitive cost was the deciding factor in its cancellation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in choosing
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 determining
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 arranging
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 settling
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 deriving
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 deciding
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
The bullpen gave up the lead on the first pitch, and then three more in the deciding 10th inning.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025
Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor.
—Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican.
—Journal Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024
Several people said the job fell to Tillis to convince enough Republican colleagues to vote in favor of the bill so no one person had to be the final deciding vote.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2022
Playoff baseball is never easy. Shelby County knows that all too well following a highly-competitive deciding game against a fresh-faced St. Paul’s squad with rally blood pumping through its veins.
—Evan Dudley, al, 23 Apr. 2022
The jurors in the Rittenhouse trial were overwhelmingly White not only in the original pool of 179 prospects but also in the final deciding panel of 12, where there was only one person of color.
—Omar Jimenez, CNN, 23 Nov. 2021
Houck would be an obvious candidate to start again if the Sox are able to push this series to a fifth and deciding game.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2021
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Daily use and care should also be considered when deciding whether to toss or keep.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Suzuki held up his hand in the direction of the field before deciding to challenge.
—Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Having a tough time deciding where to go on vacation?
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
When deciding what to eat, how much, and when, reach out to a healthcare professional such as a nutritionist or dietician.
—Ashley Olivine, Verywell Health, 2 Apr. 2026
When deciding on which hook to throw on your Texas rig, don’t stress over it too much.
—Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Global firms consider enforcement regimes when deciding where to locate research, production, and scaling operations.
—Laura Peter, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Even experienced players can misread a pitch by inches, which makes deciding whether to challenge even more difficult.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Instead, the person must show race was the crucial and deciding factor.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
The bullpen gave up the lead on the first pitch, and then three more in the deciding 10th inning.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025
Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor.
—Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican.
—Journal Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024
Several people said the job fell to Tillis to convince enough Republican colleagues to vote in favor of the bill so no one person had to be the final deciding vote.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2022
Playoff baseball is never easy. Shelby County knows that all too well following a highly-competitive deciding game against a fresh-faced St. Paul’s squad with rally blood pumping through its veins.
—Evan Dudley, al, 23 Apr. 2022
The jurors in the Rittenhouse trial were overwhelmingly White not only in the original pool of 179 prospects but also in the final deciding panel of 12, where there was only one person of color.
—Omar Jimenez, CNN, 23 Nov. 2021
Houck would be an obvious candidate to start again if the Sox are able to push this series to a fifth and deciding game.
—BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2021
Verb
Stars made sacrificial effort plays that could convince most spectators this was a playoff showdown — Jamal Murray diving into the second row to save a loose ball, Aaron Gordon developing a limp then playing through it to guard De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama on game-deciding possessions.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Daily use and care should also be considered when deciding whether to toss or keep.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Suzuki held up his hand in the direction of the field before deciding to challenge.
—Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Having a tough time deciding where to go on vacation?
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
When deciding what to eat, how much, and when, reach out to a healthcare professional such as a nutritionist or dietician.
—Ashley Olivine, Verywell Health, 2 Apr. 2026
When deciding on which hook to throw on your Texas rig, don’t stress over it too much.
—Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Global firms consider enforcement regimes when deciding where to locate research, production, and scaling operations.
—Laura Peter, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Even experienced players can misread a pitch by inches, which makes deciding whether to challenge even more difficult.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deciding
Adjective
-
In these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield victories like few people have ever seen before.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
European luxury is entering a high-stakes first-quarter reporting period as sentiment has taken a decisive hit, just as many of the sector's big names were nearing a turning point after years of declining sales.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sleep divorce simply means couples choosing to sleep in separate beds or bedrooms.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
-
These funky new qLDPC codes come in many forms, and choosing which one to use typically involves a tradeoff.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Officers responding to the initial call made no arrests after determining that no crime was committed, Mejia said.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Physical fitness, the body's ability to function properly, and the absence of disease are important factors in determining health, as is one's emotional, mental, and social state.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Long before Manhattan's iconic street grid took shape, an English widow laid the groundwork for a settlement in Brooklyn, arranging a small village in what would become the United States into one of the first grid patterns.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But arranging spheres becomes significantly more complex in higher dimensions, which allow for more arrangements and symmetries.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But nobody seemed bothered Saturday night by the new stadium’s location, or by the work left to be done finishing it, or by the long delay realizing this night, or even by settling for a draw.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Joan asked, settling in beside them with a glass of white wine.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The very legitimacy of deriving general principles from the particulars of experience can never be established from experience without already having the principle in hand.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Large language models represent the first technology capable of analyzing, contextualizing and deriving insights from this avalanche of information.—
Sahar Hashmi,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
To be clear, there is little credible scholarly evidence that EdTech, in general, improves learning outcomes, and no conclusive evidence that generative AI improves learning outcomes over traditional human teaching.—
Dr. Timothy Scott,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Key Takeaways Taking vitamin C supplements daily may slightly lower blood pressure, but results are not conclusive.—
Vanessa Caceres,
Verywell Health,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Though Prince Harry's ESPY award was plagued by a bit of controversy, Meghan still hit the red carpet in July 2024 to support her husband in style, opting for a slinky white halter gown by Oscar de la Renta.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In recent days, local media have reported that an increasing number of car owners are opting to refuel in mainland China, where gasoline can be as low as one-third of the cost in Hong Kong.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deciding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deciding. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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