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Related Words for make matters worse
Compiled automatically from published text to show words that appear in related contexts.
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Results may indicate historical usage, and do not reflect the views of Merriam-Webster.
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| Word | Syllables | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| do more harm than good | ///// | Phrase, Verb |
| add insult to injury | //x//xx | Phrase, Verb |
| make heavy weather of | //x/x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| take a turn for the worse | /x//x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| twist the knife | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| make a nuisance of oneself | /x/x/x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| make a hash of | /x// | Phrase, Verb |
| up the ante | /x/x | Phrase, Verb |
| make a scene | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| backfire | /x | Noun |
| paint oneself into a corner | /x/x/x/x | Phrase, Verb |
| rub salt in the wound | //xx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| twist the knife in the wound | /x/xx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| put a hurt on | /xx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| put the cart before the horse | /x/x/x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| leave someone in the lurch | //xxx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| muddy the waters | /xx/x | Name, Verb |
| make the best of a bad job | /x//x// | Phrase, Verb |
| throw a spanner in the works | /x/xxx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| play on | // | Phrase, Verb |
| shoot oneself in the foot | /x/xx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| make a mountain out of a molehill | /x/x//x/x | Phrase, Verb |
| turn the knife in the wound | /x/xx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| give someone a hard time | //xx// | Phrase, Verb |
| fool with | // | Phrase, Verb |
| might as well | /// | Phrase, Verb |
| play with fire | ///x | Phrase, Verb |
| do a number on | /x/x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| make a meal of | /x// | Phrase, Verb |
| make a monkey out of | /x/x// | Phrase, Verb |
| make a virtue of necessity | /x/x/x/xx | Phrase, Verb |
| fall apart | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| rub up the wrong way | //x// | Phrase, Verb |
| turn the knife | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| cut corners | //x | Phrase, Verb |
| come to grief | /// | Phrase, Verb |
| make waves | // | Phrase, Verb |
| stuff | / | Noun |
| fool | / | Noun |
| come unstuck | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| put a spanner in the works | /x/xxx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| play the fool | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| weigh down | // | Phrase, Verb |
| carry on | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| muck around | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| make the best of | /x// | Phrase, Verb |
| screw the pooch | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| fall into the wrong hands | /x/x// | Phrase, Verb |
| cut up rough | /// | Phrase, Verb |
| jack up | // | Phrase, Verb |
| look for trouble | ///x | Phrase, Verb |
| run afoul of | /x// | Phrase, Verb |
| drop the ball | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| overstep the mark | /xxx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| make fun of | /// | Phrase, Verb |
| get the worst of it | /x/// | Phrase, Verb |
| make a move | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| fool around | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| goof | / | Noun |
| grease the wheels | /xx | Phrase, Verb |
| buy time | // | Phrase, Verb |
| muck about | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| make a big thing out of | /x/x// | Phrase, Verb |
| put up to | /// | Phrase, Verb |
| drive someone up the wall | //x/x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| snooker | /x | Noun |
| fall between the cracks | /x/x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| mess with | // | Phrase, Verb |
| go to pot | /// | Phrase, Verb |
| mess around | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| make a spectacle of oneself | /x/xx/x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| weather the storm | /xx/ | Phrase, Verb |
| accept | x/ | Verb, Adjective |
| access | /x | Noun, Verb |
| accomplish | x/x | Verb |
| account | x/ | Noun, Verb |
| achieve | x/ | Verb |
| acquire | x/x | Verb |
| act | / | Noun, Verb, Adverb |
| activities | x/xx | Noun |
| actualize | /xxx | Verb |
| adapt | x/ | Verb, Adjective |
| add | / | Verb, Noun |
| address | /x | Noun, Verb |
| adduce | x/ | Verb |
| adjust | x/ | Verb |
| adopt | x/ | Verb |
| advance | x/ | Noun, Verb, Adjective |
| advice | x/ | Noun, Verb |
| affaires | x/ | Noun |
| affairs | x/ | Noun |
| affect | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| affirm | x/ | Verb |
| afford | x/ | Verb |
| agricultural | xx/xx | Adjective, Name |
| ahead | x/ | Adverb |
| allocate | /xx | Verb |
| allow | x/ | Verb |
| allusions | x/x | Noun |
| alter | /x | Verb, Noun |
| amend | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| amur | /x | Name |
| announce | x/ | Verb |
| anticipate | x/xx | Verb |
| appalling | x/x | Adjective |
| apply | x/ | Verb, Adjective |
| appoint | x/ | Verb |
| area | /xx | Noun |
| arenas | x/x | Noun |
| argue | /x | Verb, Noun |
| arguments | /xx | Noun |
| arouse | x/ | Verb |
| arrange | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| arrive | x/ | Verb |
| arrive at | x// | Phrase, Verb |
| articulate | x/xx | Verb, Adjective, Noun |
| ask | / | Verb, Noun |
| aspect | /x | Noun, Verb |
| assert | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| assess | x/ | Verb |
| assign | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| assist | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| assume | x/ | Verb |
| assure | x/ | Verb |
| attain | x/ | Verb |
| attract | x/ | Verb |
| authors | /x | Verb |
| awful | /x | Adjective, Adverb |
| back | / | Adverb, Noun, Adjective, Verb |
| bad | / | Adjective, Adverb, Noun, Verb |
| badly | /x | Adverb, Adjective |
| bake | / | Noun, Verb |
| bear | / | Verb, Noun, Adjective |
| become | x/ | Verb |
| bed | / | Noun, Verb |
| beget | x/ | Verb |
| begin | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| benefit | /xx | Noun, Verb |
| best | / | Adjective, Adverb, Noun, Verb |
| bigger | /x | Verb, Noun |
| bookmark | /x | Noun, Verb |
| bootleg | /x | Noun, Verb, Adjective |
| bottom out | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| brand | / | Noun, Verb |
| break | / | Verb, Noun |
| breast | / | Noun, Verb |
| breed | / | Noun, Verb |
| bring | / | Verb |
| bring about | /x/ | Phrase, Verb |
| bring forth | // | Phrase, Verb |
| bring home | // | Phrase, Verb |
| bring in | /x | Phrase, Verb |
| bring up | // | Phrase, Verb |
| build | / | Verb, Noun |
| bureaus | /x | Noun |
| business | /x | Noun, Adjective |
| buy | / | Verb, Noun |
| cake | / | Noun, Verb |
| call | / | Verb, Noun |
| call down | // | Phrase, Verb |
| call forth | // | Phrase, Verb |
| cantilever | /x/x | Noun, Verb |
| capitalize | /xxx | Verb |
| carry | /x | Verb, Noun |
| case | / | Noun, Verb, Adjective |
| cast | / | Verb, Noun, Adjective |
| catch | / | Verb, Noun |
| catch up | // | Phrase, Verb, Noun |
| cause | / | Noun, Verb |
| challenges | /xx | Verb |
| change | / | Noun, Verb |
| check | / | Verb, Noun, Adjective |
| chelate | /x | Noun, Verb, Adjective |
| choose | / | Verb, Noun |
| churn out | // | Phrase, Verb |
| circumstances | /xxx | Verb |
| cite | / | Verb, Noun |
| claim | / | Noun, Verb |
| clarify | /xx | Verb |
| clear | / | Adjective, Adverb, Verb, Noun |
| come | / | Verb, Noun |
| come through | // | Phrase, Verb |
| comment | /x | Noun, Verb |
| commercial | x/x | Adjective, Noun |
| commit | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| communicate | x/xx | Verb |
| company | /xx | Noun, Verb |
| compel | x/ | Verb |
| compile | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| complete | x/ | Adjective, Verb, Noun |
| complicate | /xx | Verb, Adjective |
| components | x/x | Adjective |
| compose | x/ | Verb |
| con | / | Noun, Verb |
| concerns | x/ | Noun, Verb |
| conclude | x/ | Verb |
| concoct | x/ | Verb, Noun, Adjective |
| conduct | x/ | Noun, Verb |
| confer | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| configure | x/x | Verb |
| conjure | /x | Verb, Noun |
| consent | x/ | Noun, Verb |
| consider | x/x | Verb |
| considerations | xxx/x | Noun |
| consign | x/ | Verb |
| constitute | /xx | Verb, Noun |
| construct | x/ | Verb, Noun |
| contact | /x | Noun, Verb |
| contain | x/ | Verb |
| contend | x/ | Verb |
| contents | /x | Noun |
| contribute | x/x | Verb |
| controversies | /xxx | Noun |
| conversion | x/x | Noun |
| convert | /x | Verb, Noun |
| convey | x/ | Verb |
| convince | x/ | Verb |
| cook | / | Noun, Verb |
| cook up | // | Phrase, Verb |
| cooper | /x | Name, Verb |
| cope | / | Verb, Noun |
| copy | /x | Noun, Verb |
| corduroy | /xx | Noun, Adjective, Verb |
| correct | x/ | Adjective, Verb, Noun |
| corrupt | x/ | Adjective, Verb |
| counts | / | Noun |
| cover | /x | Verb, Noun, Adjective |
| crap | / | Noun, Verb, Adjective |
| create | x/ | Verb, Adjective |
| criminalize | /xxx | Verb |
| culminate | /xx | Verb, Adjective |
| curricular | x/xx | Adjective |
| customize | /xx | Verb |
| cut | / | Verb, Noun, Adjective |
| cut out | // | Phrase, Verb, Adjective |
| damn | / | Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Noun |
| dangerous | /xx | Adjective |
| darker | /x | Noun |
| deal | / | Noun, Verb, Adjective |
| decide | x/ | Verb |
| decisions | x/x | Noun |
| declare | x/ | Verb |
| decolonization | /xxx/x | Noun |
