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 The avid hiker recovered from the ordeal after three days in the hospital and decided to join their search team. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 3 May 2025 Hannah was in disbelief and decided to come outside for support. Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 3 May 2025 Finally, after heated discussion, both sides decided to end the duel honorably for both main participants. Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025 Read: Paris: The taste of a new age In their early 20s, Steve and Lily decide to marry and leave for Europe. Vivian Gornick, The Atlantic, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for decide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decide
Verb
  • The fact that the high court chose this case to discuss universal injunctions could mean a majority want to reaffirm their use, said Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 12 May 2025
  • Because Connecticut chose to expand Medicaid in 2014, our state provides health insurance to thousands of working adults who are not offered health insurance through their jobs.
    Dr. James W. Cox-Chapman, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • Talk to a healthcare provider to determine if muscle endurance exercises are right for you.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 8 May 2025
  • Currently, there is no data on the containment status of the fire and the cause has yet to be determined.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • But the large open kitchen that takes up most of the room is the same—with cooks’ stations encircling a central vent that’s dramatically cantilevered, like the funnel of a cruise ship—as is the seating, much of it arranged around a sweeping U-shaped counter.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
  • Gaps in its provenance, especially around World War II, resulted in the im Kinsky auction house working to arrange a settlement between the consignor, a private Austrian citizen, and the heirs of the Lieser family for a share of the sale.
    Karen K. Ho for ARTnews, Robb Report, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • The title nears the summit once again on both the Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums rosters, settling at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • This Summer By Daisy Jones Shopping The Best Nontoxic Sunscreens, According to Dermatologists By Jenny Berg Born in Kampala and raised for a time in Cape Town, Mamdani later settled with Nair and his father, academic and writer Mahmood Mamdani, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 4 May 2025
Verb
  • And most key is that Abby is part of something much larger, which Ellie and Dina do not understand going into this at all.
    Adam B. Vary, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • Vrabel, a former Patriot and head coach of the Tennessee Titans, understands that respect is essential to creating a culture of belonging.
    John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • Symmetry seekers might opt for a pair of matching tables flanking a sofa.
    Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2025
  • With Rakhmonov unable to compete at UFC 314, the UFC opted to book Muhammad against Della Maddalena in Montreal.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • The team next asked another group of taste testers to judge whether those compounds altered capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin pungency, either on their own or in combination with one another.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 May 2025
  • But judge Thierry Donard said Depardieu's explanation of events had been unconvincing.
    Juliette Jabkhiro, USA Today, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Eli Lilly began mass-producing insulin derived from cows and pigs.
    Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2025
  • In 2022, the new Labor government committed to net-zero targets and immediately began the work of driving carbon emissions down in a country which derives a significant portion of its wealth from extracting fossil fuels.
    Hilary Whiteman and Angus Watson, CNN Money, 3 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decide. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

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