DECIDING Synonyms: 236 Similar and Opposite Words

deciding 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈsī-diŋ

Definition of deciding

as in decisive

serving to put an end to all debate or questioning the project's prohibitive cost was the deciding factor in its cancellation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deciding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of decide

as in choosing

to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration they decided to go out for pizza after the movie was over

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in determining

to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) the judge decided that the defendant was not liable for damages

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in arranging

to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of we waited for our captors to decide our fate

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as in settling

to make final, definite, or beyond dispute the huge sum that they were offering decided the matter: we would sell the house

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deriving

to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information the commanding officer decided that the soldier was indeed telling the truth

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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 deciding

Adjective

Instead, the person must show race was the crucial and deciding factor. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025 The bullpen gave up the lead on the first pitch, and then three more in the deciding 10th inning. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025 Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor. — Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024 As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican. — Journal Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024 Several people said the job fell to Tillis to convince enough Republican colleagues to vote in favor of the bill so no one person had to be the final deciding vote. — Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2022 The jurors in the Rittenhouse trial were overwhelmingly White not only in the original pool of 179 prospects but also in the final deciding panel of 12, where there was only one person of color. — Omar Jimenez, CNN, 23 Nov. 2021 Houck would be an obvious candidate to start again if the Sox are able to push this series to a fifth and deciding game. — BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2021

Verb

Many broadcasting managers nationwide made a grave mistake in the last 20 years by deciding that expertise was not needed to report traffic. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026 The court must evaluate both sides before deciding whether the case moves forward. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 The judge listens carefully to allcof their input when deciding who goes home, who remains in custody, and under what conditions liberty may be limited. — Corey B. Friedman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026 The difficult part wasn’t deciding what Myers Park wanted to call itself next. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026 But the difficult part for her still lies ahead — deciding what to actually pack. — John Ficarra, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026 His company depended on a third-party tool to connect its data infrastructure, and the deciding problem turned out not to be the price. — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Right now, the same companies racing to build the world’s most powerful AI models are also responsible for evaluating their safety, deciding which failures matter, and determining what the public should know about them. — Andrew Freedman, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been working out in hopes of deciding whether to play for the Rams, two years after the future first-ballot Hall of Famer retired. — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deciding

Adjective

The 5th District saw more than double the amount of votes cast in its Congressional primary than in the 4th, and the gap in support between candidates was much more decisive.

— Angela Eichhorst, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Stern’s decisive response to the Malice at the Palace – the suspensions of the players as well as the punishments meted out to the fans – sent a clear message that such behavior would not be tolerated.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of decisive

Verb

In fact, Myers Park Covenant’s interim senior minister, Tim Moore, believes that more newcomers to Charlotte than ever — especially younger ones — aren’t choosing churches based on denomination.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026
Upstate New York has no shortage of escape routes—charming inns, boutique hotels, and endless Airbnb gems—and choosing one is always the hardest part.

— Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of choosing

Verb

Resources considered when determining eligibility typically include the money held in checking and savings accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and retirement accounts.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Prescription requests continue to surge, and determining eligibility requires careful chart review, documentation, and patient communication.

— Jeffrey Millstein, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of determining

Verb

Mize proved that with six efficient innings (83 pitches) of two-run ball on Monday after settling into a routine with his next team.

— Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
The agreements could provide a template for settling the antitrust lawsuit brought by 12 states to try to stop Paramount’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros.

— Bloomberg, Daily News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of settling

Adjective

The opposite mistake is to treat every statistical change or customer complaint as conclusive evidence of material harm.

— Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
There’s less conclusive evidence that microdosing works the same way by engaging the same neuro-receptors, but less intensely.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of conclusive

Verb

Get the antique style by opting for a solid wood shelf with traditional trim.

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2026
Quinn declined, however, to move Coleman earlier in camp when starting center Nick Allegretti went down with a calf injury, opting instead to use Julian Good-Jones and let Coleman focus on left guard.

— Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of opting

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Style

“Deciding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deciding. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of deciding

adjective

verb

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