make matters worse
idiom
: to make a situation worse
He laughed at her and then, to make matters worse, he accused her of lying!
Examples of make matters worse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To make matters worse, six of the nine defensive linemen who played this season are impending free agents.
—
Josh Kendall, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Given a modicum of hope, there’s always room to make matters worse.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
To make matters worse, McAvoy was then called for holding, giving the Blueshirts a 37-second 5-on-3.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
To make matters worse, Jalen Brunson is the only player consistently converting on jump shots in the 2026 Knicks calendar year.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
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Josh Kendall, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Given a modicum of hope, there’s always room to make matters worse.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
To make matters worse, McAvoy was then called for holding, giving the Blueshirts a 37-second 5-on-3.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
To make matters worse, Jalen Brunson is the only player consistently converting on jump shots in the 2026 Knicks calendar year.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for make matters worse
Cite this Entry
“Make matters worse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20matters%20worse. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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