develops

verb

present tense third-person singular of develop
1
as in unfolds
to gradually become clearer or more detailed as the story of the bombing developed, the scope of the tragedy became more apparent

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2
as in acquires
to come to have gradually the youngster developed a taste for green olives

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3
as in grows
to become mature the wine is developing nicely in the new oak barrels

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4
as in expands
to express more fully and in greater detail marketing people developed the initial idea into a complete promotional campaign

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5
as in forges
to produce or bring about especially by long or repeated effort outside consultants helped the company develop an effective marketing strategy

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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 develops The play’s tension, gently but poignantly unspooled, develops from the fact that while Ryan has pursued a career onstage, Charlie never did. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026 Asfaw primarily develops cost-friendly skin care products that target young consumer needs. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Fully agentic shopping remains a longer-term prospect, and each company has characteristics that could help insulate its business as the technology develops. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026 An aging parent develops dementia; illness makes recognition intermittent or apology impossible. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 Officials have urged preparations for drought, heat and fires as the El Niño — a cyclical climate phenomenon that normally rises temperatures and increases drought in the Amazon — develops. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 Bubonic plague, the most common form, often develops after a flea bite or when the bacteria enters through a cut or break in the skin. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 Even as the district develops closure plans, Hepburn said his staff is working to get kids to come back. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 Functional connectivity in the fetal brain develops substantially later in gestation, with measurable differences in brain activity and facial responses to noxious versus innocuous stimulation appearing at approximately 33 weeks. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for develops
  1. unfolds
  2. acquires
  3. grows
  4. expands
  5. forges
  6. evolves
  7. cultivates
  8. progresses
Verb
  • Related Stories The story unfolds at a toll booth station, where Rajji and her co-workers move through the same days on repeat.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Read about how that staging unfolds during the epic rumble scene near the end of the show.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfolds
Verb
  • Here, the movie acquires an ambiguous power, and the proceedings begin to head south.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
  • For example, consider a client who acquires a private jet for commercial charter deployment.
    — Alex Kowtun, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of acquires
Verb
  • The new method instead grows the crystals separately and transfers them onto the chip afterward.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But, especially as your business grows, working with scrap paper and Excel spreadsheets can be time-consuming and error-prone.
    — Carson Brunson, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of grows
Verb
  • In April 2026, the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee found that advanced AI had not yet been adopted in a way that presented systemic risk but warned that risks could increase rapidly as deployment expands.
    — Swati Deepak Kumar, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The new law expands California’s definition of who is a resident under state sales tax law in an effort to weed out phony shell companies, making a company liable for state taxes when at least one member of the business is a California resident.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of expands
Verb
  • Sutskever is the moral center of the film and grows increasingly uncomfortable as Altman forges ahead with complicated AI models that have learned how to lie, willfully ignoring risks.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Librarians, which premiered at Sundance in early 2025 and broadcast on PBS in early 2026, has been years in the making, but the battle at its core still forges on.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of forges
Verb
  • When the business evolves faster than the team’s skills, execution can look productive while progress quietly slows.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Characters, environments, performances and production choices need to remain coherent as the project evolves.
    — Partner Content, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of evolves
Verb
  • In the sweeping farmlands near the Central Coast, a seed supplier that cultivates peppers, vegetables and fruit was hit with more than two dozen pesticide safety violations, some of them serious offenses that caused health or environmental hazards.
    — Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Like all classic noirs, Frank cultivates a sweaty, visceral realism to the main character’s desire to have a better life at any cost.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of cultivates
Verb
  • As the day progresses and the vibe moves from business to pleasure, guests drift out to the outdoor terrace at La Lo La Rooftop with panoramic vistas, twinkling festoon lighting, and a menu of tapas and cocktails.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • But that’s largely due to the aural sensation provided by the voices, which become more powerful and prominent as the film progresses, dragging Jamal down with them.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of progresses

Browse Nearby Words

developments
develops
deviance
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Cite this Entry

“Develops.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/develops. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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