EVOLVE Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

evolve

verb

i-ˈvälv

Definition of evolve

as in to unfold

to gradually become clearer or more detailed as the governor's plans for the reform of state government evolved, objections from various groups inevitably arose

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to radiate

to throw or give off baking soda and citric acid react with each other and evolve carbon dioxide

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 evolve At first, the men from Maidenpool laugh in his crispy little face, but soon their expressions evolve, from disbelief to disdain to awe and, finally, to terror. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 Permeable rock, native perennials and wildflowers have cooled and quieted the property, while shared seeds and evolving plant experiments turn the yard into a neighborhood teaching garden. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 The changing of the ZIP code guard illustrates how America’s centers of extreme wealth continue to evolve. — Luisa Yanez august 3, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2026 Everything was developed through the lens of TradeBuilt™, our belief that every product should be built on the legacy of the trades while evolving to meet the needs of today’s workforce. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for evolve

Recent Examples of Synonyms for evolve

Verb

The remark is notable in light of behind-the-scenes drama that has unfolded over the last year and a half.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
The opening installation unfolds in a cornucopia of mezzanines, double-height caverns, walkways, and arched windows that give on to the street.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026

Definition of unfold

Verb

Meanwhile, the Alpha Capricornid meteor shower radiates from the Capricornus constellation and tends to feature brighter meteors that are easier to spot — around three per hour as seen from both hemispheres, the American Meteor Society reports.

— Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 29 July 2026
The Perpetually Composed, radiating calm while your insides are in chaos?

— Laide Alexander, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of radiate

Verb

People can write about changing tastes, but as characters that grow and evolve through the decades, there are none better than the Marvel characters — and none better than Peter Parker.

— Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Atlanta City Council is directing city departments to beef up efforts to protect residents from the growing threat of extreme heat after the city recently faced withering critiques from homeless services groups for its response to a recent heatwave.

— Drew Kann, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of grow

Verb

Chinese brands were able to capitalize on high demand this year, especially in Europe, thanks to flexible supply chains that can rapidly develop new, localized products.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
At the same time, the Navy keeps developing the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine to replace the aging Ohio-class nuclear deterrent fleet.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026

Definition of develop

Verb

The most recent National Climate Assessment, released by the federal government in 2023, warned most of Georgia will likely see between 10 and 40 more days with temperatures of at least 95 degrees by midcentury.

— Drew Kann, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
He was detained, questioned and later released by authorities that same day.

— Tristan Maglunog, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of release

Verb

His attorney Mark Wykoff told the judge at his sentencing in January that the cancer had progressed to Stage 4 and spread to his liver and lungs.

— Jerry Nowicki, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Research from Gartner indicates that agentic AI will increasingly participate in enterprise decisions, while IBM research highlights that executive confidence in AI adoption is progressing faster than confidence in governance readiness.

— Krupesh Bhat, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of progress

Verb

Holes start finding their way through it and into the cyan layer, and the device begins emitting a mixture of red and cyan simultaneously, shifting the overall color and increasing the luminance.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
The mouth fiddle belongs to a family of instruments that are orally modulated, lending qualities of the human voice to the sound waves emitted by a vibrating string.

— Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of emit

Browse Nearby Words

evolutions

evolve

evolved

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Evolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evolve. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of evolve

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on evolve

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

colloquial

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes