DECIDING Synonyms: 236 Similar and Opposite Words

deciding 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈsī-diŋ

Definition of deciding

as in decisive

serving to put an end to all debate or questioning the project's prohibitive cost was the deciding factor in its cancellation

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deciding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of decide

as in choosing

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 determining

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 arranging

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

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as in settling

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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as in deriving

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 deciding

Adjective

Instead, the person must show race was the crucial and deciding factor. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025 The bullpen gave up the lead on the first pitch, and then three more in the deciding 10th inning. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2025 Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor. — Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024 As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican. — Journal Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024 Several people said the job fell to Tillis to convince enough Republican colleagues to vote in favor of the bill so no one person had to be the final deciding vote. — Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2022 The jurors in the Rittenhouse trial were overwhelmingly White not only in the original pool of 179 prospects but also in the final deciding panel of 12, where there was only one person of color. — Omar Jimenez, CNN, 23 Nov. 2021 Houck would be an obvious candidate to start again if the Sox are able to push this series to a fifth and deciding game. — BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2021

Verb

Atlanta’s rotation got upended during its three-game NL wild-card series win over the Philadelphia Phillies, with the Braves using ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game. — Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 The Braves deployed him Thursday, for the final four outs of the deciding game of the wild-card round. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Reviewing it is the first step in deciding whether your plan still fits your needs. — Joy Miller, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026 The Valkyries had to rally from 16 points down to get past Dallas 77-73 in the deciding Game 3 of the first round Friday night. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 With spooky season approaching, deciding on everything from our Halloween nails and makeup to costumes and movies is a highlight of the season. — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 3 Oct. 2026 The Nets will evaluate how Nets Fest works before deciding how to approach the event next year. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026 Agile gives us a discipline for deciding where to focus those tools. — Stephen Clark, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Release can begin with simply deciding not to keep feeding the same pattern. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deciding

Adjective

Every action is decisive and cannot be reversed, just as the film runs ever forward through the projector.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
The decisive Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night in Las Vegas.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of decisive

Verb

Many questioned the Dodgers choosing to pitch Skubal in Saturday’s opener while slotting Blake Snell into Sunday’s spot and leaving last season’s playoff hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the bench until Game 3.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
The screen just isn't that colorful, which puts it at a disadvantage for everything from designing a flyer to choosing the right photo for a social media post.

— Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of choosing

Verb

The organization is helping provide fliers the family can use to canvas the area and will serve as a conduit with law enforcement while determining what other assistance the family needs.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Leaders and teams can then participate in developing practical solutions while the organization establishes clear measures for determining whether those changes are producing a different employee experience.

— Gwen Mdinaradze, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of determining

Verb

Newsom was arranging a tour of Southern states later in the summer, specifically to get his face in front of South Carolinians.

— Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
When clients or surrogates travel to California for important medical milestones, Tang and Sonnenberg are often there themselves—arranging schedules, accompanying appointments, and ensuring that days defined by medicine retain a sense of humanity.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of arranging

Verb

Likewise, tipping can make settling up uncomfortable when dining out with friends.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
The company has faced a wave of lawsuits about child safety and data security, most recently settling a major federal case involving a group of state attorneys general for nearly $17 billion.

— Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of settling

Verb

There is just enough wry humor—think Shaun of the Dead—sprinkled throughout to keep things from getting too grim, often deriving from Bryan’s cluelessness and general lack of skills.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
The Chiefs finished dead last in the NFL with 362 yards deriving from explosive rushes last season.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of deriving

Verb

The pop stars had a matching moment with their bags, with both opting for the Loewe Small Paseo bag in shiny napa calfskin.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
Less than a year after her son’s birth, Dowling tried to get pregnant again, opting for the same add-ons as before—with no luck.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026