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 match devolved into a brawl before Cody could even take his jacket off.
—
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
But after entering the second quarter with a 26-8 lead, UConn’s offense abruptly devolved into sloppiness.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
Life has devolved to its primordial pool.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Outside, the full-car murals were unforgettable and, in their way, influential in the worlds of painting and design; inside, the signage devolved into tags, mere scrawled names that hinted at the city’s inability to police even its own interiors.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Soon the scene devolved into individual battles between officers and rioters.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
The Delaney Hall visit devolved into a clash when federal law enforcement sought to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D), who was invited by the lawmakers to the facility but ordered by a federal officer to leave.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 5 Jan. 2026
The testing of the limits of Grok devolved into a free-for-all as users asked it to create sexualized images of celebrities and others.
—The Los Angeles Times, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
William Eklund responded and things devolved from there.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2026
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
But after entering the second quarter with a 26-8 lead, UConn’s offense abruptly devolved into sloppiness.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
Life has devolved to its primordial pool.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Outside, the full-car murals were unforgettable and, in their way, influential in the worlds of painting and design; inside, the signage devolved into tags, mere scrawled names that hinted at the city’s inability to police even its own interiors.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Soon the scene devolved into individual battles between officers and rioters.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
The Delaney Hall visit devolved into a clash when federal law enforcement sought to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D), who was invited by the lawmakers to the facility but ordered by a federal officer to leave.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 5 Jan. 2026
The testing of the limits of Grok devolved into a free-for-all as users asked it to create sexualized images of celebrities and others.
—The Los Angeles Times, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
William Eklund responded and things devolved from there.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved
Verb
-
The relationship further deteriorated after Buss reportedly felt that James wasn’t appreciative of the team’s efforts to bring his son, Bronny, on board, according to the report.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
As a result, my health deteriorated, and my family life suffered.—
Dr. Shaoqing Sun,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
People's Liberation Army troops under Mao's control either ignored the violence or offered support to the insurrectionists while the country descended into lawlessness and retribution.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Haitians woke up Thursday under a cloud of uncertainty as the country’s fragile political transition descended into open confrontation, with the sides locked in a standoff and neither appearing willing to back down.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Many athletes in the same situation may have crumbled under the pressure.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Everyone on the planet may smell like stale Budweiser and crumbled Fritos while watching the Super Bowl, but Bad Bunny doesn’t care.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As an immigration attorney in San Francisco, Velasquez says an uncontrolled border under Democrats worsened and affected her clients seeking legal immigration status.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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The corporate policy change worsened Oakland’s national reputation as an unsafe city to work and live, though the news also sparked backlash from local residents who said the company was overreacting.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bob Atrops hired a lawyer a week after Debe's body was found and declined to take a polygraph.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Market Performance The S&P 500 declined modestly last week.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After a police operation in Rio de Janeiro in October degenerated into a chaotic shootout, leading to more than 120 deaths, Brazilian civil society groups reacted in horror.—
Brian Winter,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Our national political and cultural discourse, especially online, has degenerated into a permanent fever dream.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As the urgency of the pandemic waned and booster uptake diminished, Moderna’s key revenue source disappeared.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Hada Labo Tokyo Anti-Aging Hydrator The Hada Labo Tokyo Anti-Aging Hydrator is a fragrance-free face moisturizer with myriad benefits, including plumper skin, fewer fine lines, and diminished dryness.—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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