as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
the gradual devolution of the neighborhood from a thriving community of close-knit families to a drug-ridden slum
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Recent Examples of devolution
Maybe the game won't sync across platforms, and the impedance of having to start all over will be enough to prevent notable devolution.
—
Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 5 Sep. 2024
Stan shows us that devolution with a careful precision, forgoing imitation for a true embodiment.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2024
Devo, who celebrated 50 years of devolution last year, will play the Ohana Festival in Dana Point, CA on Sept. 24.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Aug. 2024
The royal couple made the trip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Welsh Parliament's devolution from the U.K. government.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for devolution
Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 5 Sep. 2024
Stan shows us that devolution with a careful precision, forgoing imitation for a true embodiment.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2024
Devo, who celebrated 50 years of devolution last year, will play the Ohana Festival in Dana Point, CA on Sept. 24.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Aug. 2024
The royal couple made the trip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Welsh Parliament's devolution from the U.K. government.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for devolution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolution
Noun
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Kahle, who early on recognized the ephemeral nature of the web, said the rapid deterioration of the living web is a serious threat to historical preservation.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
23 Mar. 2025
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Of course, however, a severe deterioration in the U.S. economy would have global repercussions.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Overly broad agent objectives introduce performance degradation, making debugging and optimization significantly more challenging.—
Rick Kelly,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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Where everything seems more and more about degradation.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Save our Seas Foundation reported that 100 million sharks are killed annually, which caused an over 70% decline in population in the last 50 years. Passport: Explore the finest destinations and experiences around the world in the Forbes Passport newsletter.—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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There’s been a roughly 20 percent decline in film and TV employment in California versus 2022, when work in the sector hit a high point, according to census data.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In contrast, during 2016-16 the lunar declination varied from only 18.5 degrees north to 18.5 degrees south.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
7 Feb. 2025
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Red and declinations to rust and burgundy at Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta.—
WWD,
WWD,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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He's taken the popular Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid to Hell's Revenge in Moab, Utah, a hazardous trail with steep climbs and descents.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2025
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Cinderella Cinderella stories begin with a bad situation that initially improves for the protagonist, then hits an emotional descent but concludes with a happily ever after.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devolution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolution. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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