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
By the movie’s end, the charming love story has devolved into a disorienting series of mind games.
—
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
The exchange devolved into a shouting match that had to be broken up by assistant coaches and the officials, and Auriemma exited the court without going through the postgame handshake line.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
After that provocative setup, Dream Scenario unfortunately devolved into a feeble, simplistic cancel-culture satire.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
After he was joined on the bases by walk machine Masataka Yoshida, the inning devolved into chaos.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
The once highly regarded and pricey hub for tech dreamers and fledgling startups has devolved from a breeding ground for ingenuity and innovation — a place of hope — to something closer to an American nightmare.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Instead, the right devolved into a series of intramural spats, primarily over America’s support for Israel.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Had Ootes been watching the pieces as the game had devolved?
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
By then, the match had devolved into madness.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
The exchange devolved into a shouting match that had to be broken up by assistant coaches and the officials, and Auriemma exited the court without going through the postgame handshake line.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
After that provocative setup, Dream Scenario unfortunately devolved into a feeble, simplistic cancel-culture satire.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
After he was joined on the bases by walk machine Masataka Yoshida, the inning devolved into chaos.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
The once highly regarded and pricey hub for tech dreamers and fledgling startups has devolved from a breeding ground for ingenuity and innovation — a place of hope — to something closer to an American nightmare.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Instead, the right devolved into a series of intramural spats, primarily over America’s support for Israel.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Had Ootes been watching the pieces as the game had devolved?
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
By then, the match had devolved into madness.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved
Verb
-
The lawsuit says the hospital did not tell his family that Hylton’s condition had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to the ICU without a doctor on-site.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
-
All the while, his injuries mounted and personal life deteriorated.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Buxton had just descended some 130 feet from a hovering helicopter to help her.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
When Orion descended using a method of skipping in and out of the atmosphere to reduce speed, NASA thinks that caused the unexpected heat shield damage.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If the dinosaurs and woolly mammoths that once roamed the Earth had since crumbled into dust, then what hope was there for humanity?—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Within a short time of the fire, the walls were left burnt and crumbled.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Drought conditions worsened significantly in Nebraska last month, contributing to the state's largest wildfire on record.—
Dan Peck,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
People who have been stable for years are suddenly re-exposed to risk, not because their disease worsened, but because coverage did.—
John Fomeche,
STAT,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In an email, Gardner declined to comment on the specifics of the situation.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The prosecutor declined to comment further to AP pending further investigation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 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
-
Atkins also was diminished during the latter part of the season by a calf strain, which sidelined her for several weeks.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
None of this has diminished the ambition of the budget’s spending side.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
