as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value
the once-lovely neighborhood has devolved into a squalid slum
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Recent Examples of devolved
The two hit it off but eventually devolved into an abusive relationship fueled by drinking.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 May 2026
Eventually the interrogation devolved into a monologue about the Revolution and its historical enemy the United States, Fidel and Raúl, the great humanity of the Ministry of the Interior, never mind its repressive goals.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
The Iran war seems to have devolved into a waiting game.
—Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
That the government is spending more on tourism while Cubans go without basics shows how far the Communist revolution has devolved, observers say.
—New York Times, 16 May 2026
Future President Andrew Jackson shot and killed Charles Dickinson in a duel after a horse-racing dispute devolved into insults.
—USA Today, 13 May 2026
The formerly high-end shopping destination, featured as a backdrop for a scene in a 1985 John Hughes movie, has more recently devolved into desolation.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
That's what Star Wars has devolved into, and that's who Mark Hamill has become.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The top candidates in California’s wide-open race for governor took the stage Wednesday night in a Los Angeles debate that began politely but quickly devolved into another raucous clash.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 May 2026
Eventually the interrogation devolved into a monologue about the Revolution and its historical enemy the United States, Fidel and Raúl, the great humanity of the Ministry of the Interior, never mind its repressive goals.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
The Iran war seems to have devolved into a waiting game.
—Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
That the government is spending more on tourism while Cubans go without basics shows how far the Communist revolution has devolved, observers say.
—New York Times, 16 May 2026
Future President Andrew Jackson shot and killed Charles Dickinson in a duel after a horse-racing dispute devolved into insults.
—USA Today, 13 May 2026
The formerly high-end shopping destination, featured as a backdrop for a scene in a 1985 John Hughes movie, has more recently devolved into desolation.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
That's what Star Wars has devolved into, and that's who Mark Hamill has become.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The top candidates in California’s wide-open race for governor took the stage Wednesday night in a Los Angeles debate that began politely but quickly devolved into another raucous clash.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved
Verb
-
Since his installation, the national security of Israeli citizens has steadily deteriorated.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
The facility had deteriorated insulation around the pipes.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 22,
Sacbee.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Surveillance video captured the dramatic end to the crash, including when a man flew out of the truck, rolled onto the ground and stood up before law enforcement descended on the scene.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Outside the Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson descended the stairs to a lectern.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
A lot of the old ways and structures the industry was built around have shifted or crumbled.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
One gentle nudge and Minnesota crumbled, 139-109, to end this Western Conference semifinal.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Drought conditions have worsened the spread of the wheat streak mosaic virus and barley yellow dwarf virus, which impact the potential of the crop.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
-
After that year, our situation worsened.—
Abraham Jiménez Enoa,
The Dial,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Officials at Tucson’s Kino Sports Complex declined to comment.—
Chantz Martin OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, a Cook County judge on Thursday declined to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged wrongdoing by federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Murderous encounters dating to the Risdon Cove settlement eventually degenerated into the Black War (1804–30), a period of great physical conflict between the Aboriginal population and European settlers.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Another theory suggests regulatory changes in China a few years ago appear to have diminished the availability of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.—
Mike Stobbe,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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