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
As a limited partner, Trump does not control the day-to-day operations of the project—and has less downside if things devolve.
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Dan Alexander, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Advertisement In the poignant scene about her mom, Gunvalson collapsed on the floor and devolved into screams upon getting the fateful phone call.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
But after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan devolved into quagmires, and amid an increasingly draconian security state and cascading failures at home — from Hurricane Katrina to the housing bubble — something shifted.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
The Knives Out actor added that the problem of juggling art and celebrity has devolved thanks to the rise of social media.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devolve 
Dan Alexander, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Advertisement In the poignant scene about her mom, Gunvalson collapsed on the floor and devolved into screams upon getting the fateful phone call.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024
But after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan devolved into quagmires, and amid an increasingly draconian security state and cascading failures at home — from Hurricane Katrina to the housing bubble — something shifted.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
The Knives Out actor added that the problem of juggling art and celebrity has devolved thanks to the rise of social media.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
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After civil war broke out in 2011, the Syrian economy deteriorated.Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2024
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Conditions had deteriorated overnight when the roof of a nearby mine collapsed.Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Across the Middle East and North Africa, many revolutions have overthrown autocrats, only for those countries to descend back into chaos or a more oppressive rule.NPR, NPR, 13 Dec. 2024
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Blinken met Friday with Turkey's foreign minister following discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aiming to bring Turkey into a broader consensus to prevent Syria from descending further into chaos.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Even if the glacier's entire ice shelf were to collapse today, the resulting ice cliffs would likely not be tall enough to crumble and trigger the catastrophic chain reaction previously feared.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
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Oh, baby, the foundation is starting to crumble on No Good Deed.Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In fact, a 2016 study found that blue light worsened migraine pain.Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 17 Dec. 2024
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Yet heroin insinuated the lives of Stein and Harry at the peak of their success in the early 1980s, and the group’s fortunes faded as the addiction worsened.Jem Aswad, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Krager declined to specify the nature or severity of the injury at the time.Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Dec. 2024
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Prosecutors declined to press charges against Mangum for making false allegations.Jenna West, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near devolve
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
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