make matters worse
phrase
: 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
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To make matters worse, the Department of Education sent emails to nine million people notifying them of approvals even as the plan was blocked.
—
Paxton Honerkamp,
CNBC,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for make matters worse
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Paxton Honerkamp,
CNBC,
2 July 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 4 Jul. 2026.
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