complicate matters
idiom
: to make a situation more complicated
To (further) complicate matters, they both have the same name.
Examples of complicate matters in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fortunately, fiction allows one the space to complicate matters and dispel the innocence of any image.
—
Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
But serious play from Liverpool could complicate matters.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
The Celtics’ desire to shed significant salary in any deal would complicate matters.
—Jay King, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Countervailing factors, such as domestic interest groups with transnational ties to foreign actors in other markets or personal and group relationships across borders, can complicate matters, sometimes leading to exceptions or limiting the impact of asymmetric interdependence.
—Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for complicate matters
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Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
But serious play from Liverpool could complicate matters.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
The Celtics’ desire to shed significant salary in any deal would complicate matters.
—Jay King, New York Times, 19 June 2025
Countervailing factors, such as domestic interest groups with transnational ties to foreign actors in other markets or personal and group relationships across borders, can complicate matters, sometimes leading to exceptions or limiting the impact of asymmetric interdependence.
—Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for complicate matters
Cite this Entry
“Complicate matters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complicate%20matters. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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