declension

noun

di-ˈklen(t)-shən How to pronounce declension (audio)
Definition of declensionnext
1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body a noticeable declension of the fitness of the baseball players over the winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declination
a change to a lower state or level a declension in her acting career from leading roles to cameos eventually

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in downhill
a downward slope from this region to the seacoast there's a gentle declension of the landscape

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 declension Haidt follows the same tired declension narrative that his rhetorical forebearers did. — Vicki Phillips, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023 One time, when Joyce was memorizing Latin declension, Bill Bradley of the Knicks took notice. — Katherine Fitzgerald, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2021 The same time span felt faster, like an explosion rather than like a declension. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 7 June 2021 Gender plays an integral role in many languages, from nouns assigned to a specific gender to adjectives changing their declensions based on the noun being described. — Madhvi Ramani, Smithsonian, 28 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declension
  1. deterioration
  2. declination
  3. downhill
  4. weakening
  5. decline
  6. dip
  7. decay
  8. degradation
Noun
  • Caregivers like Sherwood report mass burnout, financial strain and deterioration of their own physical and mental health from the stress of providing constant care.
    — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The county has been attempting to chip away at its road maintenance backlog for years, but much of its transportation budget has gone toward preventing further deterioration.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of deterioration
Noun
  • The declinations came as the DOJ reassigned and cut prosecutors working on environmental cases.
    — Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Federal regulations require special counsels to provide the attorney general with a report that explain prosecution or declination decisions once their work is concluded.
    — Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Definition of declination
Noun
  • Squiban slid off her bike heading into a turn on a downhill section and landed heavily on her left side.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Still one of the hottest downhill destination in the Europe right now?
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026
Definition of downhill
Noun
  • Then slow weakening is forecast as the storm moves over cooler waters and encounters dry air and wind shear.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But lawmakers overrode those objections, and the disputes ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which environmental advocates increasingly view as the last line of defense against the weakening of environmental protections in Brazil.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakening
Noun
  • This decline could affect the annual value of his next contract.
    — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Overall, patients who took estrogen-only hormone therapy for menopause were less likely to display signs of memory loss or cognitive decline or to be diagnosed with dementia.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of decline
Noun
  • That allowed Disney to pull off a great quarter while everyone else felt a dip.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But as temperatures start to dip and cozy layers start calling our names, these personal tees don’t have to be relegated back to your pajama drawer.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of dip
Noun
  • Voyager 2 and its twin launched in 1977, called Voyager 1, rely on a form of nuclear battery known as a radioisotope thermoelectric generator that uses the heat produced by the decay of plutonium.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Tritium undergoes radioactive decay, emitting particles that can degrade porous materials over time.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of decay
Noun
  • There could be IoT solution or sensor degradation, connectivity issues and hallucinations because of poor update procedures and more.
    — Punnam Raju Manthena, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • However, its natural habitat is at risk of degradation because of human activities such as aquaculture, conversion of forest and wetlands into farmlands, and infrastructure development.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of degradation

Browse Nearby Words

déclassé
declension
declensions
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on declension

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about declension

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