as in bowing
bending downward or forward
we awaited our punishment with declined heads
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in refused
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
he declined the invitation to the party she declined to participate in the soccer game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fell
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value
his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in plunged
to lead or extend downward
the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of declined
ABC News,
4 July 2026
In doing so, Valdez, like fellow successful DSA New York Congressional candidate Avila Chevalier, declined to endorse Jeffries as minority leader or even Speaker if the Democrats take back the House.
—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2026
The woman declined to speak with police and refused human trafficking victim services, authorities said.
—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
4 July 2026
In May, during a tense commission meeting, a majority of commissioners declined to give her a raise after her first year on the job.
—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2026
Bowser, who declined to be interviewed for this article, urged the administration to clean up federal parks and fix broken fountains, while pushing back on measures like having police ask for people’s immigration status.
—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
3 July 2026
But at least eight states, most led by Democratic governors, declined to participate officially, citing exhibit costs ranging from $100,000 to $1 million and concerns about the event’s partisan tone.
—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
3 July 2026
The Patent and Trademark Office declined to comment, and the White House directed questions back to Freedom 250.
—
Kelsey Ables,
The Atlantic,
3 July 2026
The family declined an interview.
—
Daniel De Visé,
USA Today,
28 June 2026
Verb
The location for the bronze statue on the Wimbledon grounds hasn't been announced and Williams-Ellis declined to offer specifics about the pose.
—
ABC News,
4 July 2026
In doing so, Valdez, like fellow successful DSA New York Congressional candidate Avila Chevalier, declined to endorse Jeffries as minority leader or even Speaker if the Democrats take back the House.
—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2026
The woman declined to speak with police and refused human trafficking victim services, authorities said.
—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
4 July 2026
In May, during a tense commission meeting, a majority of commissioners declined to give her a raise after her first year on the job.
—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2026
Bowser, who declined to be interviewed for this article, urged the administration to clean up federal parks and fix broken fountains, while pushing back on measures like having police ask for people’s immigration status.
—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
3 July 2026
But at least eight states, most led by Democratic governors, declined to participate officially, citing exhibit costs ranging from $100,000 to $1 million and concerns about the event’s partisan tone.
—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
3 July 2026
The Patent and Trademark Office declined to comment, and the White House directed questions back to Freedom 250.
—
Kelsey Ables,
The Atlantic,
3 July 2026
The family declined an interview.
—
Daniel De Visé,
USA Today,
28 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declined
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.
Verb
-
He's refused to sign the bipartisan legislation until Congress passes a voting restrictions bill called the SAVE America Act.
-
But both Mamdani and his police commissioner have repeatedly refused to discuss the nature of the event — angering some nearby business owners and raising questions about the use of public resources to cover private security.
Verb
-
Then multiple states filed lawsuits alleging the agency failed to conduct proper environmental reviews, which DHS denied.
-
The band had been denied the opportunity to perform during Haiti’s pre-World Cup friendly against Peru, despite the presence of a Peruvian band.
Verb
-
That the forest below has not been felled but has swelled, along with its creatures, is hugely the work of Dharana’s owners, the de Souza family.
-
The most dangerous situation appeared to be on Barrington Avenue, west of East Dundee Village Hall, where a light, a utility pole and part of a parkway tree were felled by strong winds, leaving power lines dangling across the road.
Verb
-
Israel and Turkey were once close allies, but ties deteriorated after Erdogan, whose party is rooted in Turkey’s Islamic movement, came to power.
-
The situation in Haiti has deteriorated since armed groups took control of most of Port-au-Prince in 2024.
Verb
-
Nearly everyone who has died is believed to be 65 years old or older, because of their more limited ability to cool themselves down due to poor blood flow and decreased ability to sweat.
-
According to the Office of the State's Attorney for Harford County, Gaeta drove 371 feet during those 5 seconds and only decreased speed from 53mph to 47mph.
Verb
-
Riyadh largely paused shipments from its Gulf export terminals of Ras Tanura and Juaymah on March 9 after tanker traffic through Hormuz plunged due to Iranian attacks.
-
Even as the communist country proposes reforms, the United States continues a pressure campaign, ramping up economic sanctions and maintaining an oil embargo that has plunged much of the island into darkness.
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
Cite this Entry
“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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