DECLINED Synonyms: 333 Similar and Opposite Words

declined 1 of 2

adjective

as in bowing

bending downward or forward we awaited our punishment with declined heads

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declined

2 of 2

verb

past tense of decline

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in denied

to be unwilling to grant declined our request to hold a party

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fell

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

as in deteriorated

to become worse or of less value his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death

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as in decreased

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes

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as in plunged

to lead or extend downward the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of declined

Verb

Trump has declined so far to endorse a successor, opting to keep his cards close ahead of what’s likely to be a bitter race. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026 When asked about the lack of any tributes or the evening’s plans to honor Nolan, the Ocean Springs School District declined to comment. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 John-Paul declined to comment to the producers of the documentary. — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026 The amount of advertising to local newspapers declined by 82% — a $40 billion drop — since 2000, Pew Research Center said in 2023. — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 The policy may have begun to impact the economy only in late 2023 or 2024 — years after the inflationary crisis began, and after inflation had already materially declined. — George Calhoun, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 But Linares-Hemelberg, who now is a teacher at private school Wesminster Christian, pointed out that as enrollment declined, the school’s reputation also took some hits. — Austin Horn august 29, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 Miller reportedly declined to participate in the documentary. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Cagle declined to discuss specifics about the deployment strategy. — Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 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.

— Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021

Definition of nodding

Verb

Sheriff’s officials said the gunshot victim did not cooperate with investigators and refused to provide information about the incident.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Federal authorities first agreed to a joint investigation, but Justice Department officials later refused to cooperate with state police, deeming any review of the fatal shooting unnecessary.

— Megan Rose, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of refused

Verb

Rincker, a German immigrant, was known for casting the bell that hung from the first Cook County Courthouse, which was felled by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Frightened that she may be plagued by the same mental illness that felled her mom, Gemma stubbornly refuses to believe anything is wrong.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of fell

Verb

But several of them moving in the same direction tell me that the quality of the rally has deteriorated.

— Thomas Hartmann, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
As the stalemate between the city and Angels owner Arte Moreno grew more entrenched, the condition of Angel Stadium deteriorated.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

Verb

The number of Americans who report having six or more close friends has plunged by 50% this century, and the number of people reporting no close friends has skyrocketed by 400% over that same time period.

— Ken Stern, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Rock, ice and mud plunged down for miles, washing away communities along the river.

— Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of plunged

Adjective

And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.

— David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.

— Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of weeping

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decline

declined

declined (in)

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“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of declined

adjective

verb

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