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 once highly regarded and pricey hub for tech dreamers and fledgling startups has devolved from a breeding ground for ingenuity and innovation — a place of hope — to something closer to an American nightmare.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Instead, the right devolved into a series of intramural spats, primarily over America’s support for Israel.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Had Ootes been watching the pieces as the game had devolved?
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
By then, the match had devolved into madness.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Instead, the right devolved into a series of intramural spats, primarily over America’s support for Israel.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Had Ootes been watching the pieces as the game had devolved?
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
By then, the match had devolved into madness.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
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Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
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The lawsuit says the hospital did not tell his family that Hylton’s condition had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to the ICU without a doctor on-site.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Holy Week begins with a triumphal procession, descends into betrayal and death, and ends with resurrection.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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The avalanche descended approximately 400 vertical feet down a face of Perry’s Peak, creating a debris field about 100 feet wide, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From crumbling stacks of CDs — featuring Prince, Paul Simon, Kylie Minogue, and PJ Harvey — to old jewelry boxes, and even her beloved first copy of Brothers Grimm’s Fairytale, every item held countless memories that helped Humberstone shape her second album Cruel World.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2026
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If the dinosaurs and woolly mammoths that once roamed the Earth had since crumbled into dust, then what hope was there for humanity?—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Deaths have suddenly spiked among the feral horses living on an isolated North Carolina island, and researchers say it’s linked to rising sea level and worsening coastal erosion.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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This leads to a vicious cycle, as the disease causes sleep disruption, and sleep disruption then worsens the disease, according to the researchers.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His parents declined to comment to reporters afterward.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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The new listings, published Wednesday by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, cite factors such as warming ocean waters, melting sea ice and declining availability of food to sustain such species.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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