as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the once-lovely neighborhood has devolved into a squalid slum
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Recent Examples of devolve
The match devolved into a brawl before Cody could even take his jacket off.
—
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Maria’s scenes ultimately provoke laughter, not discomfort, and her arc devolves into accidental self-parody.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
But after entering the second quarter with a 26-8 lead, UConn’s offense abruptly devolved into sloppiness.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
Outside, the full-car murals were unforgettable and, in their way, influential in the worlds of painting and design; inside, the signage devolved into tags, mere scrawled names that hinted at the city’s inability to police even its own interiors.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Maria’s scenes ultimately provoke laughter, not discomfort, and her arc devolves into accidental self-parody.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
But after entering the second quarter with a 26-8 lead, UConn’s offense abruptly devolved into sloppiness.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
Outside, the full-car murals were unforgettable and, in their way, influential in the worlds of painting and design; inside, the signage devolved into tags, mere scrawled names that hinted at the city’s inability to police even its own interiors.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
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Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly once snow begins, and hazardous conditions could persist into Sunday morning before snow tapers off.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Travel conditions could deteriorate rapidly as early as Friday evening.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Absolute silence descended on the scene.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Advertisement And even with this understanding, just hours after witnessing the apparent ease in which an ICE agent can pull a trigger, thousands of protestors still descended into public spaces across the country, refusing to disappear quietly.—
Paola Ramos,
Time,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The old guard is crumbling, as the NCAA no longer regulates the economic exchange of value between schools and their players—not to mention the outside intervention of third-party interests.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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But questions kept coming, and my trust was crumbling.—
Margaret Keane,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On the other hand, by lowering rates to stimulate hiring, the Fed threatens to boost spending and worsen inflation.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The betrayal was exacerbated by back-and-forth arguing online and the posting of explicit material, only worsened when the two groups met up in Oakland the night of the shooting.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Coleman declined to pursue the case, a police report said.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Across the other devices, both Mac and Wearables, Home & Accessories sales declined year over year, while the market anticipated slight growth.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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