as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the once-lovely neighborhood has devolved into a squalid slum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 devolve
There’s a lot of the relationship, though, to be seen, and to evolve or devolve, and there’s a lot of history between them.
—
William Earl, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
Or, perhaps even more likely, Iran devolves into a morass, a chaotic power struggle that destabilizes the entire powder keg of a region.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
In less deft hands, a play like The Reservoir could devolve into a breakfast buffet of intergenerational life lessons, a Tuesdays With Morrie sequel.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026
And while that may be the hill on which negotiations devolve, the baseline contention by the MLB Players Association is that the problem is not every owner is trying to win.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devolve
William Earl, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
Or, perhaps even more likely, Iran devolves into a morass, a chaotic power struggle that destabilizes the entire powder keg of a region.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
In less deft hands, a play like The Reservoir could devolve into a breakfast buffet of intergenerational life lessons, a Tuesdays With Morrie sequel.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2026
And while that may be the hill on which negotiations devolve, the baseline contention by the MLB Players Association is that the problem is not every owner is trying to win.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
-
The development changed hands a couple of times during the 1920s, and during the late 1920s and the 1930s, the building deteriorated to the point of being unlivable as white flight and disinvestment hit the area, Preservation Chicago said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Infection occurs when the tree's bark is damaged by insects, animals, or mechanical wounds, causing the soft wood to deteriorate quickly and make the trunk and branches susceptible to breakage.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Over the past few days, the biggest tennis stars in the world have descended on the tony desert enclave of Indian Wells, California for the BNP Paribas Open, also known as Tennis Paradise.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Even as busloads of Bruins fans descended on Galen Center, turning USC’s arena into hostile territory, the Trojans showed signs of life early on.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gang violence, death threats and a crumbling judicial system have stalled an ongoing investigation.—
David Fischer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Last summer, the fastball effectiveness crumbled.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tim Pennington called again that evening, Bell said, to ask for prayers as his son's condition was worsening, and then later told him the soldier had succumbed to his injuries.—
ALLEN G. BREED,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Behind the scenes, DHS officials worry that the longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk that more TSA employees will leave, worsening staffing shortages beyond the immediate crisis.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Iranian retaliatory attacks appear to be declining — ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83%, according to US Central Command — potentially easing pressure on Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes in recent days.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Bonta’s office declined to comment.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
