as in deteriorated
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 devolved
In highlighting that prediction markets have generally devolved into sports books, many states have taken the offensive with legal action against these providers.
—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Upon that person’s arrival, there was a confrontation that devolved into gunshots.
—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2026
The only real scoring chances arrived in the dying moments of a game that carried macabre tendencies, long after the match had devolved into a turf war.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
26 June 2026
But, when one student made a provocative claim that noncitizens aren’t entitled to equal protection, the debate devolved.
—
Eliza Griswold,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
However, the split between Devers and the Red Sox reportedly began as a dispute over his future after he was moved from third base to first base, but devolved into a larger issue.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
22 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
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Upon that person’s arrival, there was a confrontation that devolved into gunshots.
—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2026
The only real scoring chances arrived in the dying moments of a game that carried macabre tendencies, long after the match had devolved into a turf war.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
26 June 2026
But, when one student made a provocative claim that noncitizens aren’t entitled to equal protection, the debate devolved.
—
Eliza Griswold,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
However, the split between Devers and the Red Sox reportedly began as a dispute over his future after he was moved from third base to first base, but devolved into a larger issue.
—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
22 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved
Verb
-
Israel and Turkey were once close allies, but ties deteriorated after Erdogan, whose party is rooted in Turkey’s Islamic movement, came to power.
-
The situation in Haiti has deteriorated since armed groups took control of most of Port-au-Prince in 2024.
Verb
-
America's favorite investment has changed over time In 2008, as the Great Recession descended, Americans picked the humble savings account (and the certificate of deposit) as their favorite long-term investment in Gallup polls.
-
Then something unusual happened as Valdez descended in the boom lift with Pinky’s remains.
Verb
-
The Continental Army went into the battle with a two-to-one advantage in numbers, but when most of the American militia crumbled in the face of a British bayonet charge, Pumphrey's unit was outnumbered, Wise says.
-
The fronts of two rowhomes crumbled to the ground Monday night as severe weather hit the Delaware Valley.
Verb
-
Now a controversial study claims that working from home worsened mental health.
-
The American pope has prioritized church unity and healing tensions with traditionalists that worsened during the Pope Francis pontificate.
Verb
-
District officials declined to provide the correspondence with Carvalho, instead assigning the request to the district’s Public Records Act unit, where some requests for records have taken years to resolve.
-
The public prosecutor’s office declined to comment on the case when reached by CNN.
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.
-
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.
Verb
-
But later, when the same image appeared alongside a photo of someone the participant relied on for support, like a partner, parent, or friend, the fear response diminished.
-
Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s great rival, who is forty-one and diminished, showed the danger of staying too long.
Cite this Entry
“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
