1
as in evolution
the act or process of going from the simple or basic to the complex or advanced the development of an idea into a marketable product
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2
as in outcome
a condition or occurrence traceable to a cause a development that the writers of the law never anticipated or intended
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3
as in growth
the process of becoming mature a tulip's development from a bulb into a flower
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of development The developments raised hopes of a broader resolution to the Middle East conflict. —
Lee Ying Shan,christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026 This ordinance was a great start, and the city can still expand upon it to more strongly incentivize pedestrian- and resident-friendly development near transit — especially along the Orange Line. —Juan Sebastian Arias, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 The owl was brought in by Redondo Beach Animal Services after it was found on the ground, a situation that may appear concerning but is often part of a normal development stage for young owls, according to Redondo Beach Police Det. —Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 But according to a senior vice president of development at Damac, no contracts have been signed at the project. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for development
Lee Ying Shan,christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026 This ordinance was a great start, and the city can still expand upon it to more strongly incentivize pedestrian- and resident-friendly development near transit — especially along the Orange Line. —Juan Sebastian Arias, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 The owl was brought in by Redondo Beach Animal Services after it was found on the ground, a situation that may appear concerning but is often part of a normal development stage for young owls, according to Redondo Beach Police Det. —Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 But according to a senior vice president of development at Damac, no contracts have been signed at the project. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for development
Recent Examples of Synonyms for development
Noun
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Colossal did clone Tom Brady’s dog, but even in its veterinary arm, Lamm sees more promise in using its data to help design vaccines and model disease evolution than in selling directly to consumers.— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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Gadd’s latest is a study of willful repression and cycles of abuse, not unconscious rediscovery and evolution in the aftermath.— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And yet the outcome was the same.— Beren Cross, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
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That is a different standard than most organizations work under now, where outcomes can be explained, softened or deferred with the right language.— Richard P. Weigand, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The People's Bank of China kept the loan prime rate, or LPR, unchanged on Monday, as surging global oil prices amid escalating Middle East tensions pushed up energy prices and clouded the growth outlook.— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
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State lawmakers are also looking to limit or repeal the incentives that paved the way for massive growth in data centers.— Kevin Hardy, Baltimore Sun, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Technological progress may be increasing our exposure.— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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Share the mic, and watch progress accelerate.— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The end result was far from what the client had envisioned.— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
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The result looks a bit like the internet sensation the Crooked Man, who exercises his left trapezius and nothing else.— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Captured during ongoing flight testing, the image shows the aircraft in formation behind a KC-135 Stratotanker, marking a significant milestone in the program’s maturation.— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
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This new whisky, however, was aged for 10 years entirely in first-fill and refill sherry butts and then given a six-year secondary maturation in virgin mizunara oak.— Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This external stripping accelerates the heating and expansion of the dwarf galaxy, nudging it toward that dynamical attractor even faster.— Paul Sutter, Space.com, 20 Apr. 2026
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But Apple’s more recent expansions into areas like virtual reality and artificial intelligence haven’t been as successful.— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The resultant lift the craft exhibited is probably the first instance of plane taking off vertically.— New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Apr. 2026
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The resultant device blends fast discharge speeds with massive storage capacity, holding up to 25 times more energy per kilogram than conventional versions.— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Development.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/development. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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