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
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
The Cubs’ recent offensive inconsistency has placed some significant focus on Hoerner’s performance this season, which started off strong but has devolved into a concerning slump.
—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
In late April, Hegseth appeared before the Armed Services Committee for a budget hearing that stretched nearly six hours and devolved at times into a debate over the war with Iran, its rationale, and its likely endgame.
—
Nik Popli,
Time,
8 June 2026
While the new role and the bigger unit would seemingly address that need, the discussion quickly devolved into a power struggle, with several participants arguing loudly and others quietly checking out.
—
Harvard Business Review,
8 June 2026
The official cause of death was severe pneumonia, which devolved into sepsis and caused multiple other complications.
—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
Investigations, reviews and outside probes In the midst of the overpayment debate, the unemployment insurance division devolved into a series of investigations, reviews of those investigations and spiraling distrust between staff and superiors, labor department documents obtained by The Post show.
—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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
The Cubs’ recent offensive inconsistency has placed some significant focus on Hoerner’s performance this season, which started off strong but has devolved into a concerning slump.
—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
In late April, Hegseth appeared before the Armed Services Committee for a budget hearing that stretched nearly six hours and devolved at times into a debate over the war with Iran, its rationale, and its likely endgame.
—
Nik Popli,
Time,
8 June 2026
While the new role and the bigger unit would seemingly address that need, the discussion quickly devolved into a power struggle, with several participants arguing loudly and others quietly checking out.
—
Harvard Business Review,
8 June 2026
The official cause of death was severe pneumonia, which devolved into sepsis and caused multiple other complications.
—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2026
Investigations, reviews and outside probes In the midst of the overpayment debate, the unemployment insurance division devolved into a series of investigations, reviews of those investigations and spiraling distrust between staff and superiors, labor department documents obtained by The Post show.
—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolved
Verb
-
Air support also was grounded the previous afternoon as conditions deteriorated.
-
The situation in Haiti has deteriorated since armed groups took control of most of Port-au-Prince in 2024.
Verb
-
The Unraveling There isn’t an easy answer as to why Sudan has descended once again into civil war.
-
Wilde’s 2022 psychological thriller, headlined by Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, descended into tabloid chaos amid rampant speculation over an apparent feud between Pugh and Wilde, plus the romance between Wilde and Styles that allegedly originated during production.
Verb
-
The Continental Army went into the battle with a two-to-one advantage in numbers, but when most of the American militia crumbled in the face of a British bayonet charge, Pumphrey's unit was outnumbered, Wise says.
-
The fronts of two rowhomes crumbled to the ground Monday night as severe weather hit the Delaware Valley.
Verb
-
Rising global energy prices have worsened the situation.
-
Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insecurity has worsened as the militants have started operating in the southern region.
Verb
-
District officials declined to provide the correspondence with Carvalho, instead assigning the request to the district’s Public Records Act unit, where some requests for records have taken years to resolve.
-
The public prosecutor’s office declined to comment on the case when reached by CNN.
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.
-
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.
Verb
-
Trump’s critics, especially in Israel, worry that the agreement effectively allows Iran to repair a proxy force diminished by months of Israeli pummeling.
-
Alannah’s presence on Season 8 of Love Island USA was heavily diminished following her first appearance.
Cite this Entry
“Devolved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolved. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
