1
as in resolute
fully committed to achieving a goal
only a team with a decisive attitude is going to win a state championship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conclusive
having the power to persuade
a lawyer who knows how to construct the kind of decisive argument that sways a jury
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in definitive
serving to put an end to all debate or questioning
the decisive finding of the coroner regarding the cause of death
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decisive
At the time of Trudeau's departure, political analysts widely predicted a decisive Conservative victory in the upcoming federal election, which must be held by October 2025.
—
Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
However, after Asensio netted his second and the decisive goal in the 2-1 comeback win, Villa had jumped up to eighth — just two points behind Bournemouth, who were fifth at the time.
—Elias Burke, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
The United States wins the Olympic gold medal in men’s curling in a decisive upset of Sweden.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
There was a really individual and decisive creative community in Portland, in music and in the visual arts, in writing and in filmmaking.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
However, after Asensio netted his second and the decisive goal in the 2-1 comeback win, Villa had jumped up to eighth — just two points behind Bournemouth, who were fifth at the time.
—Elias Burke, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
The United States wins the Olympic gold medal in men’s curling in a decisive upset of Sweden.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
There was a really individual and decisive creative community in Portland, in music and in the visual arts, in writing and in filmmaking.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisive
Adjective
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Allen learned on the job from Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen at The Row, who have always been resolute about doing things their own way.—
Nicole Phelps,
Vogue,
6 Feb. 2025
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The resolute horse nudges the keg forward across challenging terrain and is unwavering in the desire to achieve the goal of delivering the keg of Budweiser beer.—
Todd Holmes,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For instance, the Zantac litigation was lost due to a lack of conclusive evidence.—
Arnold Sotelo,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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In a new interview with Classic Rock, bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson discussed the band’s conclusive world tour, which coincided with drummer Neil Peart‘s failing health.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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According to multiple reputable sources, including Reuters, CoinDesk, Economic Times and Bloomberg, these influential voices are: Crypto Confidential: Forbes' definitive guide to crypto and blockchain, delivered to your inbox every Saturday.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Alamo Lamar, March 7, 3 p.m. Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror From humble origins as a London fringe theater play to its meteoric rise, fall and resurrection as the biggest cult film of all time, this is the definitive story of the Rocky Horror Show.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Last year, another mystery flu-like illness that killed dozens of people in another part of Congo was determined to be likely malaria.—
Jean-Yves Kamale,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2025
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In sum, Washington should focus less on the positive-sum project of globalizing the liberal order and more on the zero-sum imperative of stopping determined adversaries from imposing their own, antithetical visions of how the world should work.—
HAL BRANDS,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
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Nonetheless, there is something creepy and compelling in the prophetic strength that is harbored, and slowly revealed, by particular books.—
Anthony Lane,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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There has been a lot of talk about U.S. exceptionalism last year, in reference to its economic and financial markets.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2025
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Rose died on September 30th, 2024, at the age of 83. Jeffrey Lenkov, a lawyer who represented Rose prior to his death last year, reportedly met with Commissioner Manfred and MLB spokesman Pat Courney in December.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But in his joint address to Congress on Tuesday night, Trump seemed intent on pushing forward with tariffs.—
Josh Boak,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
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As the Trump administration works to dramatically and quickly downsize large swaths of the executive branch, Democrats have been seeking guardrails on Mr. Trump's ability to withhold funding approved by Congress and are intent on including language in the funding measure.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Their authenticity and personality were gone, along with any chance of connecting with the voters who needed convincing.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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More sophisticated and convincing decoys have also been deployed.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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