1
as in refuses
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in denies
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in falls
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 deteriorates
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 decreases
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 plunges
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
1
as in deteriorations
a change to a lower state or level
the decline of the Roman Empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dips
a downward slope
the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demises
a loss of status
the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in reductions
the amount by which something is lessened
a huge decline in the value of the artwork after its authenticity was questioned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of declines
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
For Markiplier, the last few months have been a study in what happens when a creator with 36 million subscribers walks through Hollywood’s front door and declines to become its creature.
—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
29 June 2026
Over the coming years, growing numbers of batteries will be removed from electric cars as their performance gradually declines.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 June 2026
If Maryland declines to participate, the donations will not simply disappear.
—
Jeffrey S. Trimbath,
Baltimore Sun,
28 June 2026
Someone predicts a market crash, the market rises for another five years, and then eventually declines, and the original forecast is presented as a remarkable call.
—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
In the event that the Grand Prize winner declines or is unable to participate in the photo shoot portion of the prize, then the Grand Prize shall be forfeited in its entirety and the Grand Prize will be awarded to a runner-up based on the aforementioned judging results.
—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
Kojima Productions declines to share more information on Kier's involvement, though filming has now properly begun with the actors on OD.
—
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
Democratic voters are more likely to vote by mail than Republicans so stand to benefit in future elections if the Supreme Court declines to get involved.
—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2026
However, this robust growth was belied by declines in median wealth in most of the 56 markets monitored by UBS, pointing to a growing wealth gap.
—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
The cities of Miami and Miami Beach saw 13% and 8% year-over-year declines, respectively, in the number of people sleeping outside.
—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
The result was persistent power outages lasting more than 20 hours, gasoline rationing and declines in industrial and food production, among other effects.
—
Andrea Rodríguez,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
Partisan differences also contributed to the declines AP-NORC found since 2017; for example, Democrats’ pride in the military fell from 74% in 2017 to 42% this year.
—
Connor Greene,
Time,
2 July 2026
The declines dragged Wall Street’s tech-heavy Nasdaq down by nearly 4% over five days to Wednesday, with chip-makers the worst affected.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
27 June 2026
Verb
Economists have warned that the revenue bump is potentially temporary and analysts say the growth in state spending could leave California in a challenging position if the economy declines.
—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
For Markiplier, the last few months have been a study in what happens when a creator with 36 million subscribers walks through Hollywood’s front door and declines to become its creature.
—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
29 June 2026
Over the coming years, growing numbers of batteries will be removed from electric cars as their performance gradually declines.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 June 2026
If Maryland declines to participate, the donations will not simply disappear.
—
Jeffrey S. Trimbath,
Baltimore Sun,
28 June 2026
Someone predicts a market crash, the market rises for another five years, and then eventually declines, and the original forecast is presented as a remarkable call.
—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
In the event that the Grand Prize winner declines or is unable to participate in the photo shoot portion of the prize, then the Grand Prize shall be forfeited in its entirety and the Grand Prize will be awarded to a runner-up based on the aforementioned judging results.
—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
Kojima Productions declines to share more information on Kier's involvement, though filming has now properly begun with the actors on OD.
—
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
Democratic voters are more likely to vote by mail than Republicans so stand to benefit in future elections if the Supreme Court declines to get involved.
—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Noun
But between increasingly stiff anti-smoking legislation and very real declines in volumes for years, some investors have given up the industry—and Altria—for dead.
—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2026
However, this robust growth was belied by declines in median wealth in most of the 56 markets monitored by UBS, pointing to a growing wealth gap.
—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
The cities of Miami and Miami Beach saw 13% and 8% year-over-year declines, respectively, in the number of people sleeping outside.
—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
The result was persistent power outages lasting more than 20 hours, gasoline rationing and declines in industrial and food production, among other effects.
—
Andrea Rodríguez,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
Partisan differences also contributed to the declines AP-NORC found since 2017; for example, Democrats’ pride in the military fell from 74% in 2017 to 42% this year.
—
Connor Greene,
Time,
2 July 2026
The declines dragged Wall Street’s tech-heavy Nasdaq down by nearly 4% over five days to Wednesday, with chip-makers the worst affected.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
27 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declines
Verb
-
Like many of the people camped outside their families’ homes in Venezuela, Mendoza refuses to believe they are gone until the last moment possible.
-
The result is heat that builds, amplifies and refuses to break, often setting records on the way.
Verb
-
Lozano denies mass immigration fraud Angelo Calfo, an attorney representing Lozano, said clients were expected to review their applications before signing and blamed them for any false statements.
-
Israel, founded in the wake of the Holocaust, denies the accusations.
Verb
-
Men leaders can pay attention to and be mindful of who in the workplace may be playing more of an emotional support role that falls outside their job description.
-
Royal Week falls ahead of Prince Harry's upcoming trip to the United Kingdom.
Verb
-
The delivery was a glimmer of good news in a living situation that deteriorates by the day.
-
Breaking them down to save for a later date isn’t enough, as bugs will still nestle their way in even as the cardboard deteriorates.
Verb
-
Previous research has demonstrated that direct exposure to nature significantly reduces physiological stress, lowers heart rates and decreases levels of stress hormones, like cortisol.
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.
Verb
-
Dexter grapples with killing her, but Rudy eventually can’t handle Dexter’s hesitance and takes the knife into his own hands—and nearly plunges it into Debra’s chest before Dexter stops him.
-
In six parts, The American Revolution, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, plunges us into the momentous war that led to the nation’s founding.
Noun
-
Similar deteriorations took place in Tuscany and in Naples.
Noun
-
The sidewalk in front of my house had some lips and dips that could’ve compelled me to rent heavy equipment and get to work.
-
Layered dips are an easy way to impress your guests, and this bright taco dip is a great option.
Cite this Entry
“Declines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declines. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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