devolved

verb

past tense of devolve
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value the once-lovely neighborhood has devolved into a squalid slum

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 devolved But the conflict has devolved into a fight over the strait as Iranian threats and attacks on shipping ground traffic through the waterway to a halt. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Those have not been achieved, and the conflict has devolved into a fight over the strait as Iran’s assertion of control and attacks on shipping have ground traffic to a near halt. — Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 Other years devolved into long single-file processions where the handful of surviving cars simply tried to avoid becoming the next caution. — Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 England was never devolved from the UK politically, which might explain why its major sports teams have retained ‘God Save The King’. — George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026 Once among Latin America’s wealthiest nations, Venezuela had devolved into one of its poorest. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 30 July 2026 With Zelensky, there were fewer signs of strain, showing improved relations between the two leaders, at least compared with their first meeting last year, which devolved into a shouting match in the Oval Office in front of television cameras. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026 But Paddy’s isn’t Sudz, and the Gang’s efforts to soft-pedal their antics to be more in line with those mainstream bars devolved into typical Sunny-style hostility and off-putting grossness. — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026 But much of the discussion devolved into where members fell on the idea of also adding a stop at the intersection of North Graham and West Craighead Road. — Dj Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved
  1. deteriorated
  2. descended
  3. crumbled
  4. worsened
  5. declined
  6. degenerated
  7. diminished
Verb
  • Doctors admitted him to the hospital, but his condition only deteriorated.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In the provincial capital Pontianak, schools suspended in-person classes after air quality deteriorated to unhealthy levels and health officials reported a rise in respiratory illnesses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • But at the end of the year, as immigration officers descended on Minneapolis, that vote became a liability.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • There was a very real chance the bus could continue to slide, but Lara and four other soldiers and airmen rushed to help as the scene descended into chaos.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of descended
Verb
  • Early Wednesday morning, parts of the street near Riley Road and Crescent Drive crumbled and washed away.
    — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In a time yet to be named, when the couple’s love crumbled in the dead of night during a blackout, the planet became populated once more.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumbled
Verb
  • The smoke from the blazes, coupled with fires in neighboring Canada, worsened air quality for millions across the country.
    — Simmone Shah, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
  • This decline was possibly made worse by federal immigration enforcement, which district officials believe worsened the annual districtwide decline last year from about 2% — which had been expected — to about 4%.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsened
Verb
  • Quinn declined, however, to move Coleman earlier in camp when starting center Nick Allegretti went down with a calf injury, opting instead to use Julian Good-Jones and let Coleman focus on left guard.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The case was rejected by the District Attorney’s office in April 2024, and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office declined to press charges.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of declined
Verb
  • Macron’s highest aspirations to, as a modern Talleyrand, inject himself and solve global issues such as Ukraine, Africa’s Sahel, Syria, Lebanon, or Iran have fallen short, degenerated into petty feuds, or backfired.
    — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers.
    — Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of degenerated
Verb
  • The influence and interest of the United States in the islands must be increased and not diminished.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Then, there is the rise of China, which has shifted Washington’s strategic focus away from Europe and diminished NATO’s centrality to American concerns.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminished

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Cite this Entry

“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of devolved for Spanish Speakers

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