1
as in evolution
the act or process of going from the simple or basic to the complex or advanced
the development of an idea into a marketable product
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in outcome
a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause
a development that the writers of the law never anticipated or intended
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in growth
the process of becoming mature
a tulip's development from a bulb into a flower
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 development
At the same time, the Mission was a West Coast outpost for new developments in Latin music, and the young guitarist was a sponge.
—
Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 10 May 2026
Western Placer Unified School District has chosen a name for its new K-8 school in the Village 7 area of the Liberty at Lincoln development.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
And with data centers drawing the ire of communities from coast to coast, real estate professionals are paying close attention to the developments, but have their own reservations about how residential communities will react.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 9 May 2026
The blockade is intended to starve Iran of resources and force Tehran to reach a settlement ending its development of a nuclear weapon.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for development
Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 10 May 2026
Western Placer Unified School District has chosen a name for its new K-8 school in the Village 7 area of the Liberty at Lincoln development.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
And with data centers drawing the ire of communities from coast to coast, real estate professionals are paying close attention to the developments, but have their own reservations about how residential communities will react.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 9 May 2026
The blockade is intended to starve Iran of resources and force Tehran to reach a settlement ending its development of a nuclear weapon.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for development
Recent Examples of Synonyms for development
Noun
-
As the beaded trend continues its evolution from accessories to apparel, summer 2026 is shaping up to be the season of the beaded swimsuit.—
Lauren Fisher,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
-
From its rich history as an agricultural ranch to its evolution into a global hub for education and tech, Irvine remains a cornerstone of the Southern California landscape.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
An unprecedented stinker of an outcome.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The real fix is to redesign the work so that a single team, with clear decision authority, can own an outcome end to end.—
Steve Taplin,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The memory industry has been in a period of sustained growth since the launch of ChatGPT in December 2022, which triggered huge demand for high-bandwidth memory, or HBM.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
-
Most trees in shallow soils or soils with a high water table that limits root growth are also likely to blow over during hurricane winds.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Eurozone bond yields fell on Monday as progress on peace talks over the weekend eased traders’ concerns over inflation and reduced expectations of central bank rate hikes.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
-
The 19-year-old, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Preston North End, may yet be rewarded for his progress this season with improved terms.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
As a result, video became his best friend.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Going into a three-city road trip last week, Hernández said refusing to dwell on poor results, especially in big situations, had been key.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Scotland’s cool and damp climate doesn’t get to extremes of hot or cold, and these gentle temperature fluctuations create an environment ideal for slow maturation; scotch whiskies need time to develop flavors and complexities.—
Mark Littler,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
The wine becomes Champagne after nearly a decade of maturation, which creates a relationship between time, nature and human gestures.—
Kanika Talwar,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
After the case was announced, Kenya’s president canceled multimillion-dollar airport expansion and energy deals with Adani.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
-
In the West, nation-states produced an astonishing expansion of equality, democracy and material security.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
One potential drawback of the proposal for higher tuition rates could be a resultant drop in enrollment levels of nonresident students.—
Tarini Mehta,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
-
The resultant musical needed greater expansion of character, a gentler, simpler touch, a better sense of authentic teenage angst and a deeper focus on the heart.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Development.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/development. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
