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
1
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
2
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant declined our request to hold a party

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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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4
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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5
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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6
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
And while her office brought its findings to the Illinois State Police and Cook County state’s attorney, a spokesperson said, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke declined to immediately bring charges. — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 Investigators ultimately declined to file criminal charges against Brady Kiser in connection with the toddler’s death. — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026 Patrick McKiernan, a spokesman for Harvard Management, declined to comment on individual investments. — Janet Lorin, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026 As print advertising has declined, publishers turn to this data to predict which readers will subscribe, click an ad, and even which will click through to an affiliate link. — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Anthony Fauci has declined to appear for a second congressional testimony before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee following a vote to hold him in contempt of Congress. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026 The influence of religion in public life has gradually declined in recent years, particularly among younger people and in urban areas. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026 Lienhard was not at school on Friday and declined comment in a text message. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 The case was rejected by the District Attorney’s office in April 2024, and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office declined to press charges. — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declined
  1. nodding
  2. refused
  3. denied
  4. fell
  5. deteriorated
  6. decreased
  7. plunged
  8. weeping
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
  • Related Articles The union says the museum has refused to negotiate better pay, including time and a half on bank holidays.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • West refused and went to Texas before the baby was born, prompting Paxton to secure a court order saying the baby must receive lifesaving medical care after birth.
    — Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • Combs has repeatedly denied any involvement in Shakur’s killing and has never been named by investigators as a suspect or even a person of interest in the case.
    — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Arday admitted making citation errors and apologized, but denied lying.
    — Rupert Neate, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of denied
Verb
  • The return to form is all the more stunning given that book sales overall are barely rising, and Amazon, which nearly felled Barnes & Noble in the 2010s, is still a threat.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Each measures 500 square feet, with its walls, ceilings, and timber beams made from pine trees felled on site.
    — Madeline Bilis, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of fell
Verb
  • Doctors admitted him to the hospital, but his condition only deteriorated.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In the provincial capital Pontianak, schools suspended in-person classes after air quality deteriorated to unhealthy levels and health officials reported a rise in respiratory illnesses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • While gasoline demand has decreased, AAA says, citing data from the Energy Information Administration, supply and production also decreased.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • But while demand for the nifty two-seater has substantially decreased, the CX-5 has thrived.
    — James Raia, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of decreased
Verb
  • Since going public in March on the Nasdaq Global Market, Greenland Energy’s market cap has plunged nearly 85% down to about $54 million.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Average humanoid robot prices have plunged 93% between 2020 and 2025 to $58,000, according to Wood Mackenzie.
    — Elaine Yu,Anniek Bao, CNBC, 14 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

Browse Nearby Words

decline
declined
declined (in)
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Cite this Entry

“Declined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declined. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on declined

Nglish: Translation of declined for Spanish Speakers

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