as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the once-lovely neighborhood has devolved into a squalid slum
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devolve
Based on that information, Duran was sent to his apartment, which started a tense confrontation that devolved into Fortson’s death.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Here’s a brief timeline of key moments in the devolving partnership between the two nations so far.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Reyes is in no shape for the task, having devolved into a drunken, Hawaiian shirt-wearing slob with a bad bleach job.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025
But the project soon devolved into delays, finger-pointing and contract disputes, the Tribune found in a 2019 investigation.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Here’s a brief timeline of key moments in the devolving partnership between the two nations so far.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Reyes is in no shape for the task, having devolved into a drunken, Hawaiian shirt-wearing slob with a bad bleach job.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025
But the project soon devolved into delays, finger-pointing and contract disputes, the Tribune found in a 2019 investigation.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
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Their mental health deteriorated, which reinforced the officer’s excuse to keep them deadlocked.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
21 May 2025
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While more durable than the original Irish linen that encased the wings when the KC Eaglet rolled out of the factory on Aug. 12, 1930, all fabrics will deteriorate over time from exposure to the sun.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The intense setup here is fairly straightforward as these types of sci-fi mystery shows go, with Buenos Aires residents going about their evenings when a sudden nightmarish snowfall descends over the metropolis, killing millions indiscriminately.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
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Back in the 1800s, fortune seekers from around the world descended upon California, lured by the promise of gold buried in riverbeds and mountainsides.—
Joseph Olorunyomi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Old systems are crumbling under the pressure of new conditions.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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For the characters who remain, there’s a sense that the world’s well of meaning has run dry; the old institutions have crumbled, and no one is coming to save us.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
Verb
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There are also mental health impacts with worsening anxiety, stress, and depression in the hotter summer months.—
Jamie Hailstone,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Truckers are a key industrial force that helps keep the worsening Iranian economy above water.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo declined to comment on the WSJ report.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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The State Department declined to comment on the pope’s status.—
Russ Bynum,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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