devolve

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 10, 2016 is:

devolve • \dih-VAHLV\  • verb
1 a : to pass by transmission or succession

b : to fall or be passed usually as a responsibility or obligation

2 : to come by or as if by flowing down

3 : to degenerate through a gradual change or evolution

Examples:
Over time, the weekly book club meeting devolved into mean-spirited gossip sessions.

"… with whiplash speed, this heart-warming tale has devolved into an internet-fueled soap opera." — Craig Schneider, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 31 July 2016

Did you know?
Devolve evolved from Latin volvere, a word that means "to roll." The prefix de- means "down." (Other words that revolve around volvere are the five other words containing -vol- found in this paragraph.) Knowing which preposition to use with devolve can seem a bit involved, but it's really not all that convoluted. Responsibility or ri