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
Everything soon devolves into a flurry of static-y images straight outta Stan Brakhage’s back catalog.
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David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
Her character, however, never devolves into a caricature.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
But, as one of the panel’s members recalled, the first session quickly devolved into an argument between Trump and several participants over his false allegation that China was manipulating its currency.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
Chief among them: steep grade changes, a lack of accessibility, invasive bamboo, and a grass lawn that easily devolved into a mud field.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devolve 
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
Her character, however, never devolves into a caricature.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
But, as one of the panel’s members recalled, the first session quickly devolved into an argument between Trump and several participants over his false allegation that China was manipulating its currency.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
Chief among them: steep grade changes, a lack of accessibility, invasive bamboo, and a grass lawn that easily devolved into a mud field.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for devolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devolve
Verb
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After all, fast-changing technology has been one of the drivers of deteriorating trust.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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But the recommendations were not followed, and the property continued to deteriorate.Joe Rubino, The Denver Post, 3 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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Frank, who turns 70 next year, is quoted in the series but declined to participate further.Angela Andaloro, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near devolve
Cite this Entry
“Devolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devolve. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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