as in deteriorates
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 devolves
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.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 27 Apr. 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
One member of the catering team (performed with heartrending stoicism by Joyce DiDonato) lost her daughter that day, and the inevitable confrontation between the two mothers devolves into cake-throwing farce.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 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
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.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 27 Apr. 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
One member of the catering team (performed with heartrending stoicism by Joyce DiDonato) lost her daughter that day, and the inevitable confrontation between the two mothers devolves into cake-throwing farce.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 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
-
Hospitals use the same billing codes for the ER visit, whether a patient’s condition deteriorates or not.—
Andrew Jones,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Delphi’s star rises, P Burke becomes enthralled by her and descends into a tech psychosis with disastrous consequences.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Cooper Neill / Getty Images May is the final month before the excitement of the 2026 World Cup descends upon the sports world.—
John Riker,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 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
-
As the illness worsens, more severe symptoms can develop, like coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath as fluid builds up in the lungs.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
Pain in the hand, wrist and thumb that worsens or prevents you from gripping, pinching or holding items.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
When a security system declines a valid purchase, the customer often abandons the cart and moves to a competitor.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Distribution revenue was $858 million as vs $870 million on net subscriber declines.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Devolves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolves. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
