as in to worsen
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Recent Examples of exacerbate
Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has exacerbated the economic fallout.
—
Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has exacerbated the economic fallout.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has exacerbated the economic fallout.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Leigh suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and her mental health was exacerbated by a 1940s miscarriage and Olivier’s rising fame.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has exacerbated the economic fallout.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Iran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has exacerbated the economic fallout.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Leigh suffered from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and her mental health was exacerbated by a 1940s miscarriage and Olivier’s rising fame.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
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Over time this will worsen outcomes for chronic illness and preventative care.—
Dr. Howard A. Selinger,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
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The problem is expected to worsen over time without climate change mitigation.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That silence has only deepened scrutiny.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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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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My ila facial was pure joy—no painful extraction or aggravating scrubs here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
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The injury was first reported by the British tabloid, The Sun, which claimed that Turner had aggravated a pre-existing back injury.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The backlash intensified because of timing.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Most importantly, the legislation intensified punishments for those with prior convictions, with the worst offenders looking at a first-degree felony with up to 30 years imprisonment.—
Sean M. Cleary,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Right now, marketers are still trying to get a read on how economic conditions may shake out, and there won’t be much clarity in the ad market until budgets are registered—a process that itself will be complicated by the ongoing geopolitical upheavals.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Another complicating factor is software.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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