as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
the once-lovely neighborhood has devolved into a squalid slum
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Recent Examples of devolves
The initial euphoria quickly devolves into Nikki becoming increasingly violent and erratic.
—
Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 15 May 2026
What begins as a skeptical pursuit of Richard’s double quickly devolves into an all-consuming obsession, unraveling Clare’s grip on reality and pulling her into a liminal nightmare where she is suspended between the living and the dead.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 May 2026
What starts as democratic, orderly, cooperative and hopeful quickly devolves into something violent, tribal, primitive and utterly wild.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Unfortunately for her, Steve’s more than ready for the attack, and what begins as a perfect friendship, devolves into an all-out feud.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
But when the goal of the endeavor shifts from listening to talking back, the project rapidly devolves into chaos.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Iran’s future must be a secular republic grounded in pluralism, one that recognizes its multinational character, guarantees language and cultural rights, and devolves real power to regions.
—Jalil Pakray, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Or, perhaps even more likely, Iran devolves into a morass, a chaotic power struggle that destabilizes the entire powder keg of a region.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
This is how a group chat among young Republicans devolves into talk of loving Hitler.
—Laura K. Field, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 15 May 2026
What begins as a skeptical pursuit of Richard’s double quickly devolves into an all-consuming obsession, unraveling Clare’s grip on reality and pulling her into a liminal nightmare where she is suspended between the living and the dead.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 May 2026
What starts as democratic, orderly, cooperative and hopeful quickly devolves into something violent, tribal, primitive and utterly wild.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Unfortunately for her, Steve’s more than ready for the attack, and what begins as a perfect friendship, devolves into an all-out feud.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
But when the goal of the endeavor shifts from listening to talking back, the project rapidly devolves into chaos.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Iran’s future must be a secular republic grounded in pluralism, one that recognizes its multinational character, guarantees language and cultural rights, and devolves real power to regions.
—Jalil Pakray, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Or, perhaps even more likely, Iran devolves into a morass, a chaotic power struggle that destabilizes the entire powder keg of a region.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
This is how a group chat among young Republicans devolves into talk of loving Hitler.
—Laura K. Field, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolves
Verb
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Because when executives aren’t safe to respectfully and directly challenge each other, the room grows quieter, and leadership quality deteriorates.—
Terina Allen,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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Directed by Martin Scorsese, the neo-noir psychological drama follows De Niro as a taxi driver whose mental state deteriorates while working night shifts in New York City.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Rue descends into crime, working with Nazis, the feds, and a Black cowboy in a drug plot that stems from her adolescent foibles with monotone drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly).—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
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With trust eroding, dangerous new allies entering the fold, and the FBI escalating its pressure, the compound descends further into chaos — all building toward a shocking and unforgettable confrontation.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
That is the moment that everything crumbles for Rachel.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
-
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Global economic outlook worsens over Iran war The US and Iran appeared still willing to reach a peace deal despite American strikes and Tehran’s threats of reprisals — but the global economic fallout from the conflict deepened.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
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When oil prices rise because of a supply disruption, as happened in 1973 and 1979, the economy worsens.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Sitting at elevations between 1,250 and 1,750 feet, the vineyards are blessed with strong, hot sunlight during the day and significant nighttime temperature declines.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
24 May 2026
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More specifically, the authors observed that satisfaction drops most steeply during the first 10 years of a relationship, slightly recovers later, and then declines again over time.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devolves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolves. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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