as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in decreasing
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 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
as in decline
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Dissimilar Words
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
Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Still, there is some evidence click-throughs per search are declining.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Hospitals are having to turn to novel solutions to counteract increasing costs and declining ROI.
—Alexander Podgornyy, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
There’s been a declining number of programming available for this age group, especially within the past five years.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 11 Sep. 2025
Pundits have always dominated the ranks of posters on social media, but now the masses of silent followers are declining, and continued posting risks preaching to accounts of the converted, the disengaged, or the defunct.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
Researchers found that people with chronic insomnia (who struggle to sleep at least three nights a week for three months or longer) have faster-declining brain function than their age would suggest.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 10 Sep. 2025
Burberry's share price has fallen sharply over recent years, declining almost 80% from April 2023 to September 2024, as waning sales and a slew of management changes exacerbated a wider luxury downturn.
—Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Twenty-six of the 28 shorebird species relatively common in North America are declining.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
Noun
The negativity around Wilson wasn’t only about his declining physical skills.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Still, there is some evidence click-throughs per search are declining.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Hospitals are having to turn to novel solutions to counteract increasing costs and declining ROI.
—Alexander Podgornyy, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
There’s been a declining number of programming available for this age group, especially within the past five years.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 11 Sep. 2025
Pundits have always dominated the ranks of posters on social media, but now the masses of silent followers are declining, and continued posting risks preaching to accounts of the converted, the disengaged, or the defunct.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
Researchers found that people with chronic insomnia (who struggle to sleep at least three nights a week for three months or longer) have faster-declining brain function than their age would suggest.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 10 Sep. 2025
Burberry's share price has fallen sharply over recent years, declining almost 80% from April 2023 to September 2024, as waning sales and a slew of management changes exacerbated a wider luxury downturn.
—Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Twenty-six of the 28 shorebird species relatively common in North America are declining.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
Verb
-
Anisimova dialed in, desperately refusing to give Osaka any openings.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
His staff acknowledged congratulatory comments on social media and posted photos of an encounter with someone whose car window was shattered after refusing to open it.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That’s until their cover in California Schemin’ as rapping imposters was blown and the emotional strain of denying their Scottishness and their fractured friendship revealed itself.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
-
At the time, a source told PEOPLE that Teefey and Gomez, Wondermind's chief impact officer, both stepped in to take action for their employees, while denying that Teefey took out a loan to pay salaries.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This can be something forceful falling or pressing on the toe or twisting it in an awkward manner.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Borrowers aged 18 to 29 are also falling 90 or more days late on auto loans faster than older borrowers.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By 6 months old, Luka was in end-stage liver failure, and his condition was deteriorating rapidly.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Nvidia’s price momo is deteriorating, slowly, according to the look here.—
John Navin,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Coaxing summer-flowering annuals to flower in fall is hit and miss as nutrient availability is dwindling and hours of daylight are decreasing.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The central bank is expected to start decreasing rates at its meeting next week after being on pause since December.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The pair dressed up to the nines for the occasion, with Sperry, 32, wearing an elegant light pink Monique Lhuillier gown with a low-plunging back that draped to the floor and pooled around her feet.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
But 26% also said plunging demand in the wake of Trump’s policies caused cancellations, with 16% specifically citing tariffs.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Chinese authorities said that headline CPI had slipped into negative territory largely due to the high-base last year and lower food prices, while crediting the narrower decline in producer prices in part to Beijing's efforts in regulating the excessive price competition.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Apple—which topped the World’s Best Companies list in 2024—is notably absent this year due to a decline in revenue from 2022 to 2024, which many Wall Street analysts have postulated could be due to the company falling behind on AI.—
Charlotte Hu,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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 14 Sep. 2025.
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