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 By this time, the interview has devolved into fun-loving chaos. — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 But the director’s crowd-pleasing instincts had devolved into cutesy self-congratulation by the time his wildly overpraised, Holocaust-trivializing satire Jojo Rabbit came along. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 The Louvre has closed due to about 50 protesting arts and culture students blocking its glass pyramid entrance, in the latest sign of what appears to be abating civil unrest that peaked on Saturday and devolved into rioting. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 His adopted brother, Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) has devolved into a party machine who often winds up on MTV’s spring break coverage. — Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026 The game devolved from there, with sloppy fielding and poor relief pitching sending fans to the exits in the eighth and ninth. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved

Verb

Hubbard's release follows the return of American Robert Gilman, who was freed from Russian custody in August after his health deteriorated to a life-threatening condition.

— Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Jones said the potential consequences for policyholders could be severe if an insurer’s financial position deteriorated enough to stop it from meeting its obligations.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of deteriorated

Verb

Dozens of federal agents descended on Omar Alexander Muñoz's residential cul-de-sac in Commerce, a small city in Los Angeles County, to make the arrest.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Advertisement Within minutes, the festival grounds descended into chaos.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of descended

Verb

The company crumbled after John Carreyrou, then a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, broke the story in 2015 that Theranos wasn’t using its own technology to run most of its blood tests.

— Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
In the southwestern town of Limoges, the city hall’s 19th-century bell tower crumbled under a mass of flames.

— Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of crumbled

Verb

Insecurity, which has worsened around the country, is also set to figure as a major point of contention.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Mike McDaniel’s implementation of his wide-zone offense hasn’t gone well, and the situation has worsened as injuries along the offensive line have piled up.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of worsened

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

Such a trend, however diminished, persists particularly among constituencies with close institutional ties to the state.

— Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Finally, Nieves encouraged young salsa singers to pursue their dreams, even as radio and other traditional avenues for exposure have diminished.

— Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminished

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“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of devolved

verb

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