declining by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "declining by" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate a decrease in quantity, value, or quality over a specific period or in relation to a specific factor. Example: "The company's profits have been declining by 10% each quarter for the past year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

The Danish Girl, declining by 43%, is at £6.44m.

The Guardian - Film

Officials had hoped to see the number of cases declining by now.

The New York Times

South Korean airlines slumped, with Korean Air Lines declining by its daily limit of 14.95 percent.

The New York Times

UK beer sales have been declining by between 2% and 4% for years.

The Guardian - Business

Today, it hovers at around 3.4m, and is declining by 13% a decade.

The Guardian - Opinion

Total industry sales were off 10.1percentt, with truck sales declining by 17.9percentt.

The New York Times

Woman: "How are you Mr. Green?" Man: "Declining by the hour".

The New York Times

But the 21st century has seen numbers declining by up to 7% a year.

The Guardian - Travel

Advancing shares outnumbered those declining by about 4 to 3 on the New York Stock Exchange.

The New York Times

And the number of donors has dipped as well, declining by about 14percentt.

The New York Times

Not counting exploitation, today's mature fields are declining by an average of 7-8% per year.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about declines, maintain a consistent tense. For example, if you start with "Sales declined by 10%", avoid shifting to "Sales are declining by 10%" without reason.

Common error

Avoid using "declining by" when you mean "declining to" which expresses refusal. "The company is declining by 10%" (correct) indicates a decrease, whereas "The company is declining to comment" (incorrect if you meant decrease) indicates a refusal to comment.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "declining by" functions as a modifier indicating the extent of a reduction. As evidenced by Ludwig, it quantifies how much something is decreasing, typically expressed as a percentage or a numerical value. Ludwig AI validates its correct and consistent usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Science

31%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "declining by" is a versatile phrase used to express a quantifiable decrease or reduction, as confirmed by Ludwig. Its correct usage involves using the preposition "by" followed by a numerical value or percentage. It’s most commonly found in news and media, as well as scientific contexts, maintaining a neutral and professional register. Common errors include confusing it with "declining to". Ludwig AI reinforces the grammatical correctness and wide applicability of this phrase across diverse sources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

decreasing by

Direct synonym, interchangeable in most contexts.

falling by

Similar to declining, often used for quantities or values.

reducing by

Implies active effort in decreasing something.

diminishing by

Suggests a gradual decrease, often over time.

dropping by

Informal way to indicate a decrease.

lessening by

Highlights the act of making something smaller.

contracting by

Often used in economic contexts to indicate a decrease in size or volume.

slipping by

Suggests a slow and subtle decline.

weakening by

Indicates a loss of strength or effectiveness.

eroding by

Implies a gradual wearing away or disintegration.

FAQs

How can I use "declining by" in a sentence?

Use "declining by" to show a specific reduction or decrease. For example, "Profits are declining by 5% this quarter", or "The population is "declining by" 2% annually".

What are some alternatives to the phrase "declining by"?

Alternatives include "decreasing by", "falling by", or "reducing by depending on the specific context and desired nuance".

Is it correct to say "declining of" instead of "declining by"?

No, the correct preposition to use with "declining" in this context is "by". "Declining of" is grammatically incorrect when referring to a quantified decrease. You could say "a decline of", but when using the verb form use the preposition "by".

What's the difference between "declining by" and "declining from"?

"Declining by" indicates the amount of decrease (e.g., "Sales are declining by 10%"), whereas "declining from" indicates a previous level or standard (e.g., "Performance is declining from last year's high").