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
What started out as something Howie Mandel thought would be a funny bit for his Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast last month quickly devolved into a super-tense, awkward moment the America’s Got Talent host is now expressing regret for.
—
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Feb. 2025
Sometimes, the visit even devolves into an impromptu musical performance, like when.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 13 Feb. 2025
Chargers-Texans devolved into a blowout, but Los Angeles was actually controlling the game flow for much of the first half.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Once the league’s best franchise, the Sparks have devolved into a rudderless mess with constant changes in leadership, no real stars and only recently announced plans for a new practice facility after being relegated to temporary locker rooms at a community college.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Feb. 2025
Sometimes, the visit even devolves into an impromptu musical performance, like when.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 13 Feb. 2025
Chargers-Texans devolved into a blowout, but Los Angeles was actually controlling the game flow for much of the first half.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Once the league’s best franchise, the Sparks have devolved into a rudderless mess with constant changes in leadership, no real stars and only recently announced plans for a new practice facility after being relegated to temporary locker rooms at a community college.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
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Read: The chaos in higher ed is only getting started The situation could deteriorate if current doctoral students start jumping ship.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
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So organs deteriorate while doctor after doctor rejects them.—
Brian M. Rosenthal,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Zelenskyy arrived in the U.K. on Saturday, straight from his visit to Washington, D.C., in which an Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance descended into an open argument in front of gathered reporters.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2025
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Former Soviet territories descended into a civil war that recalled the nineteenth century.—
James Verini,
The New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Today, despite its crumbling condition, the concrete trough still attracts young Bosnian athletes chasing Olympic dreams.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2025
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But the vaccine's power to beat back measles outbreaks starts to crumble when vaccination rates drop low enough.—
Alyson Hurt,
NPR,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere in the Keys, worsening water quality has been identified as one of the factors responsible for a decline in bonefish and tarpon, and the devastation of Florida's coral reefs.—
Greg Allen,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
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In the next episode, which followed the premiere, the feud continued to worsen.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Research from analytics firm Gallup shows that U.S. alcohol consumption is declining, with younger generations drinking significantly less than their predecessors.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
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Daily meme coin launches peaked shortly after the $trump coin debut but have declined sharply.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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