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

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 But things quickly devolved, and once again scoring seemed to make little sense leading up to yet another hard-to-watch elimination. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026 Verbal fights between the two women devolved into a physical brawl. — Eamon Javers, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026 Republicans on the committee followed that lead, confronting him in a hearing that frequently devolved into partisan sniping and name-calling. — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 By the end of Volume I, the court romance has devolved into a series of infidelities, both personal and political, which cause the corruption and destabilization of England’s fledgling democracy. — Eileen Hunt, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026 Since the war has devolved into a quagmire, Kushner and Witkoff have been relegated to a secondary role in peace talks; Vance took the lead in the latest round, this summer. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 Twenty-five years later, Diane Sawyer can still remember the morning of September 11, 2001, when a standard Good Morning America broadcast with coanchor Charlie Gibson devolved into tragedy. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026 On Wednesday, the board’s conversation devolved into squabbling before Gaytán could even present her allegations to the directors. — Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2026 Harris also saw the majority of his playing time late in the year when the Chargers’ offensive line had devolved into a completely non-viable unit, and the team failed to generate efficient production from any of its pass catchers. — Jakob Sanderson, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved

Verb

The central bank's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations found that consumers expect inflation to be even higher a year from now, while perceptions about their own financial standing deteriorated.

— Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
However, as Germany’s economic problems — slow growth, high inflation, rising energy prices — have worsened, public sentiment toward the newcomers has deteriorated.

— Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

Verb

The one who does the best is Teresa with her poofy updo supporting a little crown and a corseted gown that looks like something Bertha Russel would have descended an elaborate staircase wearing.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
The aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said data shows at one point the plane descended more than 14,000 feet, or nearly three miles, in under 30 seconds — way faster than normal.

— Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of descended

Verb

Prospects of a sequel crumbled in 2019 when the Hollywood Reporter broke news that Lim left the sequel over pay disparity.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
As recruiting migrates from Friday Night Lights to the transfer portal, that old infrastructure has crumbled.

— Chris Park, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of crumbled

Verb

Many fire survivors have joined lawsuits against the city of Los Angeles and other entities over missteps that enabled or worsened the fire.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
That's important in late 2026, when PC shipments are down, and component prices have only worsened in recent months.

— Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of worsened

Verb

The local district attorney declined to seek criminal charges, but the criminal case was reopened after the lawsuit was filed.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
The campaign for the Democratic nominee for governor, David Jolly, declined to comment on what the new opinion meant for the Hope Florida saga.

— Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of declined

Verb

These days, oversight hearings have degenerated into partisan brawls.

— David Wippman, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
Fay degenerated on Tuesday, but by Thursday afternoon was once again a strengthening tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, moving west at 6 mph in the central Atlantic, according to the hurricane center.

— Robin Webb, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of degenerated

Verb

That is quite far apart from the commercial industry, which actually stands to be diminished by these policy reforms.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 7 Oct. 2026
By raw numbers, net domestic out-migration of Californians to other states continues even as the California exodus overall has diminished in strength.

— Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminished

Browse Nearby Words

devolve

devolved

devolves

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of devolved

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nexus

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes