as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the once-lovely neighborhood has devolved into a squalid slum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 devolve
Based on that information, Duran was sent to his apartment, which started a tense confrontation that devolved into Fortson’s death.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Here’s a brief timeline of key moments in the devolving partnership between the two nations so far.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Reyes is in no shape for the task, having devolved into a drunken, Hawaiian shirt-wearing slob with a bad bleach job.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025
But the project soon devolved into delays, finger-pointing and contract disputes, the Tribune found in a 2019 investigation.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Here’s a brief timeline of key moments in the devolving partnership between the two nations so far.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Reyes is in no shape for the task, having devolved into a drunken, Hawaiian shirt-wearing slob with a bad bleach job.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025
But the project soon devolved into delays, finger-pointing and contract disputes, the Tribune found in a 2019 investigation.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
-
But the age and condition of the fleet could deteriorate further, even with an infusion of cash to buy new equipment, because the wait times are so long.—
Alene Tchekmedyian,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
-
Fiscal Policy Without exception, the fiscal position of large countries, including the United States, as measured by government debt relative to GDP, deteriorated due to the impact of spending during the pandemic.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
-
The intense setup here is fairly straightforward as these types of sci-fi mystery shows go, with Buenos Aires residents going about their evenings when a sudden nightmarish snowfall descends over the metropolis, killing millions indiscriminately.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
-
The American entrepreneur was one of the five passengers killed on June 18, 2023, while the compact submersible descended en route to the wreckage of the Titanic, and Rush is now in all the talking heads' crosshairs as the villain of this tragic story.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
Old systems are crumbling under the pressure of new conditions.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
-
For the characters who remain, there’s a sense that the world’s well of meaning has run dry; the old institutions have crumbled, and no one is coming to save us.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
There are also mental health impacts with worsening anxiety, stress, and depression in the hotter summer months.—
Jamie Hailstone,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
Relations have only worsened in recent years, as Beijing has leveraged its budding economic and military power to ramp up pressure on its neighbor.—
ELY RATNER,
Foreign Affairs,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo declined to comment on the WSJ report.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
-
The State Department declined to comment on the pope’s status.—
Russ Bynum,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share