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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devolve
The scene swiftly devolves into a cat-and-mouse chase between Ghostface and poor Casey.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
In late April, Hegseth appeared before the Armed Services Committee for a budget hearing that stretched nearly six hours and devolved at times into a debate over the war with Iran, its rationale, and its likely endgame.
—
Nik Popli,
Time,
8 June 2026
While the new role and the bigger unit would seemingly address that need, the discussion quickly devolved into a power struggle, with several participants arguing loudly and others quietly checking out.
—
Harvard Business Review,
8 June 2026
The official cause of death was severe pneumonia, which devolved into sepsis and caused multiple other complications.
—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
In late April, Hegseth appeared before the Armed Services Committee for a budget hearing that stretched nearly six hours and devolved at times into a debate over the war with Iran, its rationale, and its likely endgame.
—
Nik Popli,
Time,
8 June 2026
While the new role and the bigger unit would seemingly address that need, the discussion quickly devolved into a power struggle, with several participants arguing loudly and others quietly checking out.
—
Harvard Business Review,
8 June 2026
The official cause of death was severe pneumonia, which devolved into sepsis and caused multiple other complications.
—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
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For the decades after the historic Old Soldiers’ Home was shut down in the 1970s, the two-thirds of the campus north of Wilshire Boulevard remained a collection of vacant deteriorating buildings and residential programs for physical and mental health recovery.
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However, the strategy itself has been flawed, often prioritizing roads in excellent condition while allowing moderately deteriorating streets to fail completely.
Verb
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Visitors descend 168 steps to a spectacular view of Sable Falls’ 75-foot cascade.
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Hundreds of people descended on 52nd Street in West Philadelphia Sunday for the city's annual Juneteenth Parade.
Verb
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Yet robust economic growth has proved elusive, even as government debt has climbed, leaving successive administrations with little firepower to fix a growing list of related challenges, from crumbling infrastructure to a chronic housing shortage.
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All of this was a source of ongoing friction; and the glue that held the USSR together, military might and communist ideology, had been crumbling for some time.
Verb
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On top of the usual risks that come with surgery, a botched revision can mean permanent scarring, loss of nasal support, worsened breathing, or a result that's structurally too compromised to correct again.
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Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that worsens over time and occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred, according to Mayo Clinic.
Verb
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With only a week of freedom under his belt, Cribbs said Powell is declining interviews for now, reentering the world with some trepidation.
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The Padres declined comment for this column.
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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