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 In a July 15 episode of her podcast, Unlocked, the reality television star, 27, decided to speak about undergoing liposuction for the first time, detailing the reasoning behind her decision to undergo the knife. Michelle Lee, People.com, 15 July 2025 Believers may decide to refrain from voting or choose a third party because, in their view, neither majority candidate is acceptable. Esau McCaulley, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025 Every candidate has already been vetted for safety; A.I. can identify low-hanging fruit, and then humans can decide whether the pairing is ripe for picking. Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 15 July 2025 When did you guys decide to get back into the studio? Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for decide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decide
Verb
  • Scroll to choose from seven different K-Beauty sunscreen favorites, with more picks to come.
    Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 10 July 2025
  • Barring an outright ban, which looks unlikely at this juncture, any legal action against X would take months, possibly years, to work its way through the European courts, especially if Musk chooses not to cooperate.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Detectives determined the victim was approached by a group of people who had been involved in a fight, which was broken up by witnesses.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2025
  • The trial will determine whether the administration has violated the plaintiffs' First Amendment free speech rights.
    Nate Raymond, USA Today, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • Horowitz spent decades arranging for Sondheim’s archives to come to the Library of Congress.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2025
  • The controversy comes at a time the United States is trying to arrange a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
    Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • But if a real estate investment isn’t in the cards at the moment, settle for the next best thing by renting one of the many villas currently listed on Airbnb.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 14 July 2025
  • Gary, though, did have one last piece of business to settle — with Ballard herself, stalking her in the dark of the cold case unit’s basement HQ.
    Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Some things are beyond the capacity of a child to understand, while others resonate most profoundly out of the mouths of babes.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 July 2025
  • The class is offered by the Peace and Justice Institute, an Orlando nonprofit that hosts workshops on topics like conflict resolution, understanding trauma, emotional intelligence and parenting.
    Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • The team ditched their helmets and pads, opting for boots and gloves.
    Austin American Statesman, Austin American Statesman, 8 July 2025
  • And though the move was meant to unite the luxury titans, the brands have run into some trouble: Consumers are opting to shop at other high-end retailers instead, such as Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, Bloomberg reported.
    Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • Buhari defeated Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 in what was judged to be Nigeria's fairest election to date.
    Benjamin Ezeamalu, USA Today, 14 July 2025
  • Among those was racer and concours judge Glenn Herman, who sold the car to Mike Curnow in 1988.
    Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • All of these inputs to the model simulations are primarily derived from observational data.
    Ben Santer, Scientific American, 4 July 2025
  • While much of the popularity of the program is derived from its ability to inspire online debate, even the showrunners have noticed an uptick in the nastiness of the commentary.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 3 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decide. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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