DEVOLVING Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

devolving

verb

present participle of devolve

as in deteriorating

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 devolving At the very least, no one wants to feel invisible, especially when our devolving society keeps finding new ways to instill that impression. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026 With infernos burning so hot that water evaporates before even reaching the flames, firefighting operations are devolving, increasingly, into lifesaving operations. — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026 The question is whether the system can scale rules without devolving into chaos. — Michael Goshka, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Unlike Starmer, Burnham has a clear narrative – devolving power away from London – running through his policies. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 The Sky still consider her day-to-day, but her absence reflects a growing tension between her needs as a veteran guard and the team’s rapidly devolving chances of competing this season. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 With both nights devolving into chaos, Brooks and the other guys decide to call it quits on this gender experiment and plan to infiltrate the girls’ night and merge groups. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 July 2026 Another year growing and evolving and sometimes devolving, with you. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 16 June 2026 Your city is devolving into a lawless hell hole. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolving

Verb

With seven months left in his term, Macron’s approval ratings are near record lows, driven by anger over the rising cost of living and criticism of France’s growing debt and deficit and deteriorating public services.

— Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
In schools, lead can come from deteriorating paint or from old plumbing, where water that sits unused in pipes can pick up lead.

— Rebecca Smullin Dawson, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of deteriorating

Verb

Founded in 1926, the largest and longest-running Italian festival in the United States celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, with locals and tourists alike descending upon Mulberry Street in Manhattan to celebrate Italian American culture.

— Clare Whitton, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026
This novel’s narrator is a dog who lives on a farm in a nameless country that is descending into war.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of descending

Verb

Partly because the contracting system remains dysfunctional, the government has made little visible progress toward repairing the country’s crumbling highways.

— Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
McKinley stages a few bullet-sweating sequences of peril, including a particularly brutal transport of gold bars across a crumbling rope bridge and an underwater accident exacerbated by floating logs.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of crumbling

Verb

Compared to the rapidly declining number of referrals from traditional search engines — which once numbered in the tens of millions — these AI clicks are a tiny drop in the bucket.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 24 Sep. 2026
North Central President Abiódún Gòkè-Paríolá said he was thrilled by the enrollment numbers, especially as colleges across the country are grappling with a declining high school graduate population.

— Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of declining

Verb

In an era of worsening doctor shortages and an aging population, the ability to retain and re-energize good physicians may be the most underrated cost lever in all of healthcare.

— Aric Coffman, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Looking to the future As polar ice disappears and sea levels continue to rise, concerns over the continuing and worsening repercussions of climate change continue to grow.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of worsening

Verb

This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf.

— Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
Choose opportunities that expand your options without diminishing your excellence.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of diminishing

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devolves

devolving

devote

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“Devolving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolving. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of devolving

verb

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