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
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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
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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
The contest ended 5–4 after the AI struck a gate during the decisive final run.
—
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Feb. 2026
The decisive breakthrough happened on the Friday, with Abraham saying his goodbyes to his team-mates in the morning and a final agreement reached in the afternoon.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Democratic erosion unfolds as a sequence of tactical adjustments rather than a single decisive break.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
At this critical time, WDM is in need of a decisive leader, not swayed by the environment, with a genuine sense of purpose to which all can relate, and the confidence to cross all lines to bring people together for a common goal.
—Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Feb. 2026
The decisive breakthrough happened on the Friday, with Abraham saying his goodbyes to his team-mates in the morning and a final agreement reached in the afternoon.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Democratic erosion unfolds as a sequence of tactical adjustments rather than a single decisive break.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
At this critical time, WDM is in need of a decisive leader, not swayed by the environment, with a genuine sense of purpose to which all can relate, and the confidence to cross all lines to bring people together for a common goal.
—Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisive
Adjective
-
Tillis remained resolute in holding up the president’s Fed chair nomination in protest over a Justice Department investigation of the current one.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Sports have always represented one of humankind’s most resolute rejections of nihilism.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Atila found residues in seven different vessels but only obtained a conclusive result from one artifact excavated in the ancient city of Pergamon that dates from the second century.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But the research isn’t conclusive.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This is the 18th century, after all — DNA and 23andMe are still two centuries off, so definitive proof of the seemingly impossible lineage will take time and effort to piece together.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The candy analysis has not been peer-reviewed, and in a press release, the FDOH indicated that the study findings aren’t definitive.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Warner Bros is determined to get Wuthering Heights to an $80M-plus opening, and that might fluctuate with a lower domestic 4-day (mid $30M) and a better international (north of $42M).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2026
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That means that Siqueira, recruiting coordinator Camilo Guerci and assistant coach Chen Abramovich are determined to sign as many as 16 new players by the time the 2026 season starts in August.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The minibar is a compelling decorative touch on its own, set inside a dedicated cupboard and features an array of local, gourmet snacks, antiqued wine and cocktail glasses, and an anniversary edition of the 1935 Illy espresso machine for your morning and afternoon coffees.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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As a means of generating its own conceptions of goodness that feel compelling to most human beings, its record is quite mixed, perhaps because that’s not what it was ever designed to do.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Investigators had sent a search warrant to Google for the Nest cameras at the Guthrie residence last week, the source added.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Kuhl said last year that jurors should have the chance to consider whether design features implemented by the companies, like endlessly scrolling feeds, have contributed to mental health harms, rather than content alone.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What matters is intent—how much the audience actually cares.—
Martin Moszkowicz,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
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But OpenAI seems intent on being an enterprise company, too, and isn’t shying away from a fight with Google and Apple.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Experts say the rise of AI has dramatically lowered the barrier to fraud, allowing scammers to create convincing websites, clone official logos, and even replicate QR codes from legitimate sources.—
Maria Salette Ontiveros,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Andrews, who was not involved in the Kanzi study, said the results were convincing.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisive. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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