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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Recent Examples of devolve
The game devolved from there into a parade to the free throw line, with the flow of the game being significantly disrupted by physical play and officiating.
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Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
But while in the area, prosecutors said, the officers saw a Ford Escape doubled-parked in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue and made a fateful traffic stop that devolved into stunning violence.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2024
Not all at once, but over time, that order will devolve to entropy as the international system reverts to its natural state, which is anarchy.
—Andreas Kluth, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Meanwhile, his courtship of Ivana (Maria Bakalova) devolves from romance to prenup to cruelty.
—The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devolve 
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
But while in the area, prosecutors said, the officers saw a Ford Escape doubled-parked in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue and made a fateful traffic stop that devolved into stunning violence.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2024
Not all at once, but over time, that order will devolve to entropy as the international system reverts to its natural state, which is anarchy.
—Andreas Kluth, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Meanwhile, his courtship of Ivana (Maria Bakalova) devolves from romance to prenup to cruelty.
—The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
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Since then, though, communication has deteriorated, with those close to Prince Harry saying the monarch no longer takes his younger son’s calls and doesn’t respond to his letters, either.Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
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Relations deteriorated even further by 1729 after Etienne de Périer, the governor of French Louisiana, appointed a man known as Commandant de Chépart to lead Fort Rosalie.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Soon, however, Ashleigh discovers shocking manuscripts by the titular author and descends into a dark exploration of the Crawfords’ past.Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
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But when Harvey goes missing, Batman is forced to descend into the city’s labyrinthian underground, uncovering a horrific conspiracy by a secret society that has ruled Gotham for ages, one that has ties to his parents’ tragic murder.Todd Spangler, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The man scribbled outside the boxes on his ballot and crumbled it up.Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
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Variations to mix into the cooked, mashed potatoes: Freshly chopped herbs such as parsley, dill, sage and rosemary; roasted garlic; nonfat chicken broth instead of milk; favorite cheeses, shredded or crumbled.Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The tussle on the Milwaukee-to-Dallas-Fort Worth flight is the latest example of apparent air passenger misbehavior – a problem that’s worsened for airlines since before the pandemic, with at least 1,854 incidents reported this year to the Federal Aviation Administration.Graham Hurley, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
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These symptoms may worsen into uncontrolled coughing fits that last between one to six weeks.Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
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In the third quarter the negative trend in APAC mitigated, declining 3 percent, with a clear improvement compared to the previous three months, mainly driven by acceleration outside Greater China and South Korea.Luisa Zargani, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024
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The other side: The Nooksack Tribal Council declined to comment this week, but justified the evictions in a statement released this month by asserting its sovereign right to govern housing on tribal lands and to prioritize the needs of its current members.Christine Clarridge, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near devolve
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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