decide

verb

di-ˈsīd How to pronounce decide (audio)
Definition of decidenext
1
as in to choose
to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration they decided to go out for pizza after the movie was over

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to determine
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) the judge decided that the defendant was not liable for damages

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to arrange
to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of we waited for our captors to decide our fate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to settle
to make final, definite, or beyond dispute the huge sum that they were offering decided the matter: we would sell the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to understand
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information the commanding officer decided that the soldier was indeed telling the truth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb decide differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of decide are determine, resolve, rule, and settle. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When can determine be used instead of decide?

Although the words determine and decide have much in common, determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

In what contexts can resolve take the place of decide?

The synonyms resolve and decide are sometimes interchangeable, but resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

When might rule be a better fit than decide?

In some situations, the words rule and decide are roughly equivalent. However, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

When is settle a more appropriate choice than decide?

While the synonyms settle and decide are close in meaning, settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

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 decide Two years ago, Jenny decided to retire from owning restaurants and shut down the family’s eateries. —Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025 Bedford, on a whim, decided to keep the trees. —Mark Dent, HubSpot, 12 Sep. 2025 This series would decide which team stays in the division race in the final weeks of the season. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025 Instead, Green Bay decided to go for it. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decide
  1. choose
  2. determine
  3. arrange
  4. settle
  5. understand
  6. opt
  7. judge
  8. derive
Verb
  • Lauren chose a golden, super-cinched Schiaparelli gown, while Jeff wore a classic tuxedo.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
  • This means regularly assessing your thinking skills, consciously choosing when to engage versus delegate mental tasks, and maintaining practices that keep your mind sharp.
    — Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of choose
Verb
  • The Office of the Inspector General launched a criminal investigation and determined the shots had been fired from where two FBI agents and an Oregon State Police officer had been standing.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The first thing her soon-to-be husband did was fly to North Carolina to bring their youngest daughter home from camp, determined to have the entire family together for the special day.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of determine
Verb
  • North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
    — Josh Meyer, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Wegovy injection pens arranged in Waterbury, Vermont, US, on Monday, April 28, 2025.
    — Karen Gilchrist,Katrina Bishop, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • Science is never settled For decades, it was assumed that AHE was always spin-driven and only occurred in magnetic materials.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Keough said her grandmother tried to settle Lisa Marie's estate less than 24 hours after her death in 2023.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Definition of settle
Verb
  • Your smartphone's voice assistant struggles to understand your accent but works perfectly for others.
    — Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • While parenting responsibilities are widely understood and sometimes better supported in the workplace, senior care still has a long way to go, Zlotsky said.
    — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of understand
Verb
  • Elsewhere, she’s opted for sequin sea blue Balenciaga, and chose a sparkling structural Alexander McQueen gown for last year’s BAFTAs.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The team behind the Price Tracker opted to focus on the 100 largest metro areas because some data for smaller localities is inconsistent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of opt
Verb
  • Plenty of thought clearly also went into creating the right ambience from the moment the team bus pulls up behind the West Stand judging by the different lighting and imagery used to shift the mood as the players pass through the bowels of the arena.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The fear of being judged, penalized, or replaced by AI is real, especially for underrepresented groups, like women, who use it less.
    — Brad Rencher, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of judge
Verb
  • This number, an accepted consensus derived from World Bank and Asian Development Bank data, includes roughly 700 million from China, and 400 million from Southeast Asia.
    — Rich Karlgaard, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, is the primary fuel for the body, derived from food and released into the bloodstream.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 6 Sep. 2025
Definition of derive

Browse Nearby Words

decibels
decide
decided
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decide. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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