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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of declension
That’s the whole exhibition, and anyone who was expecting this to be a Netflix declension of the Degenerate Art Show, with poor patriarchal Picasso as ritualized scapegoat, can rest easy.
—
Jason Farago, New York Times, 1 June 2023
Haidt follows the same tired declension narrative that his rhetorical forebearers did.
—Vicki Phillips, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
The same time span felt faster, like an explosion rather than like a declension.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 7 June 2021
One time, when Joyce was memorizing Latin declension, Bill Bradley of the Knicks took notice.
—Katherine Fitzgerald, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2021
The experience of the pandemic was made ghastlier by being placed against the declension of Trumpism from evil to absurdity—who will ever forget Four Seasons Total Landscaping?—and then back into even darker evil again.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2020
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
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
Jason Farago, New York Times, 1 June 2023
Haidt follows the same tired declension narrative that his rhetorical forebearers did.
—Vicki Phillips, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
The same time span felt faster, like an explosion rather than like a declension.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 7 June 2021
One time, when Joyce was memorizing Latin declension, Bill Bradley of the Knicks took notice.
—Katherine Fitzgerald, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2021
The experience of the pandemic was made ghastlier by being placed against the declension of Trumpism from evil to absurdity—who will ever forget Four Seasons Total Landscaping?—and then back into even darker evil again.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2020
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
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
Noun
-
Submersible visits over the years have shown an increase in its deterioration, with rust and microorganisms eating away at the ship's metal. Dives over more than a decade have shown the ship is falling apart.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
-
That could mean that rate cuts are pushed off until much later this year or even delayed until next year if that deterioration takes time to materialize.—
Colby Smith,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The sun's changing declination is what determines whether the sun's rays strike us at a low angle or more directly.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
-
The changing declination also defines the daily arc that the sun takes across the sky, thereby accounting for the length of daylight.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Saturday’s World Cup finals downhill race was called off due to windy conditions, and Macuga took a DNF in Sunday’s Super-G—another career first.—
Michelle Bruton,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Girdwood, known as Alaska's skiing capital, is home to Alyeska Resort, a popular destination for downhill skiing and snowboarding with breathtaking views of Turnagain Arm.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This is a result of a profit-first capitalist system in crisis in the epoch of imperialism’s decline.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Gold’s warning What’s more, the spike in gold prices this year has continued to signal a risk-off mentality among investors, as gold tends to rally during periods of decline in stocks.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Citi upgrades Constellation Energy to buy from neutral Citi says investors should buy the dip in the largest operator of U.S. nuclear power plants.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The honey mustard sauce works well as both a sauce for the chicken and a dip for the fries.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
One hundred and thirteen years later, much of the great vessel — and what’s left of its splendors — remains in the same spot it was found four decades ago in 1985, though decay and human interference have changed its form over time.—
Nicole Briese,
People.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Water fluoridation has been proven to be so effective at preventing tooth decay that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named it one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, a time during which Americans' life expectancies rose by 30 years.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This is, in part, about the degradation, devaluation, and replacement of writers.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate volatility have become immediate operational threats.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But this particular glass squid observed during the descent held its arms loosely above its head in a maneuver called a cockatoo pose, which has been observed previously in glass squids.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2025
-
In Martinique and Guadeloupe, in contrast, where more than 80% of the population is of African descent, the poverty rates are 38% and 46%, respectively.—
Marlene L. Daut,
The Conversation,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Declension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declension. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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