declining 1 of 3

adjective

di-ˈklī-niŋ How to pronounce declining (audio)
Definition of decliningnext
as in bowing
bending downward or forward the declining flowers perked up with the gentle rainfall

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declining

2 of 3

noun

as in decline

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declining

3 of 3

verb

present participle of decline
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

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

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3
as in falling
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 deteriorating
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 decreasing
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 plunging
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 declining
Adjective
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 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
Reports showing inflation and unemployment declining have subsequently been released, and a nominee for the Federal Reserve chairman role has since been announced. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
Wine consumption as a whole is declining, according to the French Agriculture Ministry, with the government funding permanent vineyard removal in some cases. — Martina Di Licosa, CBS News, 31 July 2026 Some factors outside of districts’ control, such as the declining birth rate and competition with the private sector, could be contributing to this trend, according to local and state education leaders. — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026 Facing a housing slump and declining consumption at home, China has ramped up exports to other nations to buttress slowing economic growth. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 30 July 2026 The American Cancer Society notes that cervical cancer screening rates still haven't rebounded from lows hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a continuation of a declining pattern for the past 20 years. — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 30 July 2026 The administration has touted the declining approval rate for asylum applications in immigration courts, pointing to its actions to terminate over 170 judges and hire others who are making rulings more in line with the administration's priorities. — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 30 July 2026 Across the country, colleges and universities are experiencing declining enrollment rates​ while students simultaneously face increasing costs for basic necessities like housing and food. — Kyle Brody, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Idaho’s divorce rate has been steadily declining for nearly half a century, and since 2020, has been below the low-water mark set in 1956, according to data collected since 1950. — Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026 The institution had been plagued by declining enrollment and budget deficits which resulted in staff layoffs, culminating in Vanderbilt’s purchase of the institution early this year. — News Desk, Artforum, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declining
  1. nodding
  2. decline
  3. refusing
  4. denying
  5. falling
  6. deteriorating
  7. decreasing
  8. plunging
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
Noun
  • In September 2024, state economists attributed the drop in play to a decline in scratch-off sales as consumers faced inflationary pressures coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic period, which saw a spike in Lottery purchases.
    — Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Originally housing offices, its heyday in Detroit’s industrial age was brief, sliding into decline in the 1960s and ultimately going vacant.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • There’s something to be said for refusing to budge from your core principles of timeless design, high-quality materials and a focus on natural fibers for four decades.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 29 July 2026
  • That brought a public outcry and boycott that led to NBC refusing to air the awards in 2022.
    — Andrew Dalton, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of refusing
Verb
  • In the early 1930s, the Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times correspondent Walter Duranty wrote stories denying the famine that Joseph Stalin’s forced-collectivization policies were causing in Ukraine and mocked journalists who reported the truth.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
  • Human rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of denying defendants due process, relying on coerced confessions and carrying out executions after unfair trials.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of denying
Verb
  • Global markets were also mixed, with South Korea’s Kospi stock index falling another 6% Wednesday as doubts over massive investments in artificial intelligence once again led investors to dump chipmakers’ shares.
    — Yuri Kageyama, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • Hikers in an area of the San Bernardino National Forest are being warned of falling rocks after one woman was injured, and another woman died after she was suspected to have been hit in the head by a large boulder.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Definition of falling
Verb
  • Venezuela’s fragile health care system had been deteriorating for years before two powerful earthquakes rattled the South American nation last month, killing more than 5,000 people and further exacerbating its ongoing health crisis.
    — Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 31 July 2026
  • Allen said the house needed to be gutted, the inside was deteriorating and termites were eating at the doors.
    — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • The sterile male flies mated with fertile female flies, but the interactions didn’t produce offspring, decreasing the overall fly population.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
  • The result is increasing structural lifespan and decreasing potentially massive costs during work disruption, repair, and replacement.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Definition of decreasing
Verb
  • The beauty chose a plunging black dress that showcased her cleavage.
    — Sarah Sotoodeh , Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Schumer opted for a plunging white corset top with a sweetheart neckline and an asymmetrical peplum hemline that flared down to her upper thighs.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of plunging

Browse Nearby Words

declines (in)
declining
declining (in)
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Cite this Entry

“Declining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declining. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of declining for Spanish Speakers

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