DEVOLVED Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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 The week’s biggest stories Boyle Heights fire A raucous town hall devolved into boos and chants as residents blamed a burning Lineage cold-storage warehouse for toxic smoke. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 Season 4 started strong and then devolved into soap opera and repetitiveness. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 But during his stay, Haiti's already fragile political system devolved into unrest and violence that led to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, and continues to today. — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 2 July 2026 Despite my own expertise and best efforts, my attempts to talk to my neighbors devolved into utter, frigid silence. — Deborah Mower, The Conversation, 2 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved

Verb

The relationship between Cassidy and Kennedy has deteriorated after Cassidy criticized Kennedy’s vaccine policies.

— Helen Branswell, STAT, 15 July 2026
What began as a low-level juvenile case became five years in secure custody as his behavior deteriorated and new charges accumulated.

— Christina Buttons, Washington Post, 14 July 2026

Definition of deteriorated

Verb

Nirmal Kumar, 44, a businessman, said what began as a leisurely trip descended into chaos within minutes as a storm lashed the boat.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
On a balmy June evening, a crowd of vampire obsessives descended upon the Upper West Side’s Beacon Theatre in a sea of black and red.

— Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026

Definition of descended

Verb

At the height of Venezuela’s earthquake response, as rescue crews searched crumbled and flattened buildings for signs of life, one worker named Tsunami was supposed to be taking a rare break in the shade.

— Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
With the mountain of new evidence presented by the prosecution during this week’s hearings, those theories have effectively crumbled.

— Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026

Definition of crumbled

Verb

Five of six different brain tests showed diranersen recipients’ memory and other cognitive abilities still worsened but more slowly than those given dummy shots, Mummery said.

— Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Neighbors who saw smoke coming from the home reached Bo and Addie before conditions worsened.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Definition of worsened

Verb

The firm declined to share Henderson’s declaration, citing a confidentiality agreement.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Attorneys for the defendants have denied the allegations in court, and MetroLoft declined to comment on the pending litigation on Thursday.

— Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 11 July 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 ocean’s abundance had been dramatically diminished, but few recreational fishermen noticed; their expectations had been downsized, too.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Kylian Mbappé’s powers were diminished in that tournament after sustaining a broken nose, while emerging stars like Michael Olise and Désiré Doué were yet to break through.

— James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026

Definition of diminished

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“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of devolved

verb

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