DECIDES Synonyms: 184 Similar and Opposite Words

decides

verb

present tense third-person singular of decide

as in chooses

to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration they decided to go out for pizza after the movie was over

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in determines

to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) the judge decided that the defendant was not liable for damages

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in arranges

to come to an agreement or decision concerning the details of we waited for our captors to decide our fate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in settles

to make final, definite, or beyond dispute the huge sum that they were offering decided the matter: we would sell the house

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in derives

to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information the commanding officer decided that the soldier was indeed telling the truth

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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 decides Yannis decides to go for STP, a Black Forest gâteau, and a Mary Berry’s recipe for Queen of Desserts, which is a mix of breadcrumbs and custard with jam and topped with meringue. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 Federal agencies have overlapping jurisdiction over captive marine mammals –– for sea lions, the USDA oversees their welfare and NOAA decides who can keep them for public display. — Valerie Greene, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 At some point, Bernard decides to give a bedroom tour, showing off his collection of Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy posters. — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 But on this night, the 5-foot-5 giant of comedy lays down his verbal shovel and decides not to toss more dirt on Harvey. — Timothy Bella, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 Meaning that when a company decides to shut down those servers, the games often become unplayable. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026 Well, about four songs in, Jackson Browne decides to start his spiel about 'No Nukes' and how there was a nuke plant near Champaign, and everyone should 'duck and cover' or some crap like that. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Jonah is now continuing his radiation course before his medical team decides on his next stage of treatment. — Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 The development calls into question the future of the USMCA, which will face annual reviews until 2036—or until one of the three partner nations decides to pull out. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decides

Verb

Yet even in the aftermath of her terrible grief, Josie’s mother, Chrissie, doubles down and chooses to put Josie through the operation as well.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
Much like her character Klara, Ortega chooses to have faith in humans and their spontaneous wonder.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of chooses

Verb

How the Fed affects your money The Fed's benchmark interest rate determines what banks charge one another for overnight loans.

— Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
In this setup, the angle between the polarized light and the polarizer determines how much light can pass through the latter.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of determines

Verb

Anthony is the executive vice president of On Location, a global leader in sports hospitality that arranges ticket packages for the Super Bowl.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
They are invited to monthly meetings where Vasquez arranges for guest speakers on topics including public relations and banking.

— Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of arranges

Verb

Waititi never settles on one either, most often opting for a glibness that treats key aspects of the plot, including Klara’s rudimentary faith, into something like a joke.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Smoke from fires in the Sierra foothills, the North Coast and the northern Sacramento Valley often settles over Sacramento, and late-summer smoke tends to arrive during heat waves.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of settles

Verb

FirstDate primarily derives those preferences from questionnaires.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
The power of prediction markets derives precisely from sucking our attention toward what’s speculable—incentivizing the networked crowd to separate signal from noise at scale.

— Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of derives

Verb

The interior is designed to match, and far from recycling bright, beachy tropes, instead opts for subtler period antiques, oversized tubs, dark wood floors, and brass lighting fixtures.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
If Chrissie represents someone who opts into the ruling system, Paul’s character shows that there are choices even within this world’s oppressive parameters.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of opts

Verb

University of Miami president Joe Echevarria understands where the Atlantic Coast Conference stands in the grand scheme of college athletics.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
The smiling, amiable android understands very little about her surroundings, believing that the sun (which recharges her batteries) is a deity that listens to her prayers to be chosen by a human.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of understands

Browse Nearby Words

deciders

decides

decides (on)

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Style

“Decides.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decides. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of decides

verb

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