as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in decline
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in refusing
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 denying
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in falling
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value
his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death
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5
as in decreasing
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in plunging
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
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Recent Examples of declining
Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Mar. 2021
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.
—Fox News, 15 May 2020
During replanting, remove dead and declining portions, including old roots.
—Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 26 May 2018
The team then built mathematical models using the same data to assess how declining immunity might affect the susceptibility of the U.S. population.
—Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, 21 Mar. 2018
According to a new analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, 81 percent of the United States population is in an income bracket with flat or declining income over the last decade.
—Neil Irwin, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2016
Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 5 Feb. 2026
Measles-vaccination rates have been steadily declining for several years; since last January, the country has logged its two largest measles epidemics in more than three decades.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Scientists say rising outbreaks across the hemisphere are linked to declining vaccination rates.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
As for the vast majority of other sectors, hiring has limped along or seen declining employment in a labor market environment that has grown increasingly less dynamic.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Over-the-counter vaginal moisturizers, including products with hyaluronic acid, and water- or silicone-based lubricants, are other options—however, these items won’t address the root of dryness, which is declining estrogen.
—Erica Sweeney, SELF, 4 Feb. 2026
The Post has seen declining audience in monthly digital traffic, albeit those declines have been relatively widespread across the news media business.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026
That may offer one reason for declining enrollments at archdiocese schools.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
As a report from the Penn Wharton Budget Model observed last year, AI adoption will plateau in the early 2030s, the result of declining opportunities to employ additional AI tools productively.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.
—Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Mar. 2021
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.
—Fox News, 15 May 2020
During replanting, remove dead and declining portions, including old roots.
—Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 26 May 2018
The team then built mathematical models using the same data to assess how declining immunity might affect the susceptibility of the U.S. population.
—Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, 21 Mar. 2018
According to a new analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, 81 percent of the United States population is in an income bracket with flat or declining income over the last decade.
—Neil Irwin, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2016
Verb
According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, lung cancer incidence rates are declining slower in Iowa than in other states.
—Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 5 Feb. 2026
Measles-vaccination rates have been steadily declining for several years; since last January, the country has logged its two largest measles epidemics in more than three decades.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Scientists say rising outbreaks across the hemisphere are linked to declining vaccination rates.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
As for the vast majority of other sectors, hiring has limped along or seen declining employment in a labor market environment that has grown increasingly less dynamic.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Over-the-counter vaginal moisturizers, including products with hyaluronic acid, and water- or silicone-based lubricants, are other options—however, these items won’t address the root of dryness, which is declining estrogen.
—Erica Sweeney, SELF, 4 Feb. 2026
The Post has seen declining audience in monthly digital traffic, albeit those declines have been relatively widespread across the news media business.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026
That may offer one reason for declining enrollments at archdiocese schools.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
As a report from the Penn Wharton Budget Model observed last year, AI adoption will plateau in the early 2030s, the result of declining opportunities to employ additional AI tools productively.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
Noun
-
Axios ran these numbers, and calculated the decline in wages as a share of gross domestic income adding up to $12,000; as in, that’s how much less per year the average American is bringing home as a result of this dynamic.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Pacific Islander students and American Indian students were the only two student groups out of 11 total who saw a decline in this metric in the same period.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Most of the time, a child who is shoving at the playground or refusing to take turns with the blocks at daycare is just testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Clintons agreed to testify later this month after initially refusing and facing a potential contempt vote.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Authorities are increasingly denying detainees access to legal counsel and often holding them for days or weeks before allowing any phone calls to family.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Decades later, Faraci cooperated with Modrowski’s lawyer during the post-conviction proceedings and submitted two affidavits in 2019 and 2011 denying Modrowski was involved, court records show.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Two months later, the appointment of another nominee, Keith Fountain, failed in a 5-4 decision of the Board of Directors, falling one short of the six votes necessary to confirm him.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In addition to default notices, a group of commercial property owners at Blackhawk Plaza have filed a lawsuit in Contra Costa County Superior Court that paints a picture of deteriorating conditions at the once-vibrant shopping center.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Harris said the mad dash to achieve human-level AI could create harmful incentives for unchecked growth, ultimately deteriorating safety, security, and economic well-being.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The biggest shift in the financial model of newspapers that has occurred in the transition from print to digital is a decreasing reliance on advertising and an increasing reliance on direct payments from subscribers.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The formulation hits all the targets my tired eyes crave—brightening dark circles, decreasing puffiness, and reducing the look of fine lines.—
Cathy Nelson,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trump’s approval rating from Gallup peaked at 47% last February before plunging to just 37% in the December 2025 survey that the company now says will be its last.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
As the beverage brand brought some Parisian glamour to London, the MaXXXine actress bared an elegant plunging black bra and matching underwear set in a see-through black Jean Paul Gaultier creation.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Declining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declining. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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