decide

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb decide differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of decide are determine, resolve, rule, and settle. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When can determine be used instead of decide?

Although the words determine and decide have much in common, determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

In what contexts can resolve take the place of decide?

The synonyms resolve and decide are sometimes interchangeable, but resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

When might rule be a better fit than decide?

In some situations, the words rule and decide are roughly equivalent. However, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

When is settle a more appropriate choice than decide?

While the synonyms settle and decide are close in meaning, settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

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 decide Across the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) frontline, according to analysts, the Ukrainian military has to decide which areas are under greatest threat, where to withdraw, how to redeploy – even as many brigades are seriously under-strength more than three years after the Russian invasion. Tim Lister, CNN Money, 29 May 2025 In a thousand-year-old sport where a split second can decide everything, two months will probably feel like an eternity. Matt Moret, New York Times, 29 May 2025 Those include the major questions doctrine, which says Congress needs to give clear authorization for federal agencies to decide issues of major economic significance, and the nondelegation doctrine, which holds that Congress can't delegate its legislative power to the executive branch. Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 May 2025 The California State Parks Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving California’s state park system, decided to make its first-ever top 10 list after receiving hundreds of queries over the years about the best parks to visit, Norton told The Tribune. Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for decide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decide
Verb
  • There are so many reasons why a player may choose to play in a particular location, for a particular team, for a particular coach that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 5 June 2025
  • While whiskey remains a cultural touchstone for claims on American identity, the reality is that American consumers have consistently chosen vodka as their spirit of choice for decades.
    Time, Time, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Cohen said this would help determine if vehicles had any missing parts before the tow, a seeming nod to the news organizations’ story about a DMV employee who the agency’s investigators found schemed with a towing company to undervalue vehicles and sell them for thousands in profit.
    Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2025
  • Phone surveys, electronic health records and the Social Security Death Index were used to determine whether cardiac events or deaths from any cause had occurred up to one year after hospital discharge.
    American Heart Association News, Boston Herald, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • At Emery’s request, the club arranged a warm-weather camp in Dubai during the March international break, including a couple of friendlies against local teams.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • Clinics often arrange hotel stays and local transfers.
    William Jones, USA Today, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • Those CBAs also require that should there be a dispute as to whether the league, a club, a union, or a player abided by their obligations under the CBA, such dispute be settled through a confidential arbitration process.
    Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • Here’s what happened next Time to break some concrete Heavily built up and covered in graffiti, modern Athens bears little resemblance to the idyllic location people chose to settle millennia ago.
    Elinda Labropoulou, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • Both Wong and Barratt understand the assignments here.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2025
  • This includes understanding existing skills, power structures, decision-making processes, and how change has been received historically.
    Andrew Mawson, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • Ciara opted for utilitarian styling for her Black Women in Excellence Dinner on Sunday in London.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 2 June 2025
  • Thicke, meanwhile, opted for a classic Saint Laurent tuxedo paired with refined Santoni shoes.
    Sabienna Bowman, People.com, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • The German model joined the show in 2013 and judged on Seasons 8-13.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 May 2025
  • Joe has written extensively on wines and spirits and judged many of the leading international wines and spirits competitions.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • This includes Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France, an heiress to the L’Oreal fortune who is worth $86 billion, by far the largest fortune to derive from a pure beauty company.
    Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Naturally derived emulsifiers may not always be better.
    Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decide. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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