1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
it really aggravates me when I arrive 10 minutes before the stated closing time, and the store's closed already
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of aggravate
That’s because all that vigorous motion can jostle and aggravate the parietal peritoneum.
—
Jenny McCoy, SELF, 26 Mar. 2026
Cortisone shots were the initial treatment, but the injury was re-aggravated in September 2025.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026
One person said the shooting aggravated a neurological condition.
—Christopher Spata, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
The move aggravated the country's existing energy crises and triggered widespread fuel shortages.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Jenny McCoy, SELF, 26 Mar. 2026
Cortisone shots were the initial treatment, but the injury was re-aggravated in September 2025.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026
One person said the shooting aggravated a neurological condition.
—Christopher Spata, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
The move aggravated the country's existing energy crises and triggered widespread fuel shortages.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravate
Verb
-
The platform’s staff has seemed minorly annoyed at the shots Denk and others at Beehiiv have taken as Substack has moved from disruptor to incumbent.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
One who grew up respectful but annoyed by the success the league previously had in Seattle.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Burning more coal risks worsening smog in major cities, slowing the transition to renewable energy and increasing the region's planet-warming emissions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The first of three ships carrying food, medical supplies, solar panels, and other humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba on Tuesday, three days behind schedule, as the island grapples with a worsening economic and energy crisis.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Even minimal exposure to artificial lights irritated his burns, and recovery took months.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Many people have come out of the woodwork and jumped on the bandwagon, which irritated me.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That silence has only deepened scrutiny.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Thousands of Shahed drones have pummeled the Persian Gulf this month, hitting hotels, airports, seaports, desalination plants, and energy infrastructure, and deepening the worst oil-price shock in modern history.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At Brookhurst and Magnolia streets, construction was stopped so nearby birds that were nesting weren’t bothered.—
Jim Radcliffe,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
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Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The wild swings across asset classes were only exacerbated by denials from Iranian state media that talks had even happened.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
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Her tendency to sleepwalk (a side effect of taking lithium), exacerbated by stressful family situations and an equally stressful job, has already gotten her into trouble more than once.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
-
But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me.—
Jack Denton,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Comparisons to the build-up to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis are now intensifying as concerns over underlying loan quality grow.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
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As his erratic behavior intensified, so did her drug abuse.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aggravate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravate. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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