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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Recent Examples of aggravate
Kings forward Trey Lyles is questionable due to lower back soreness, but All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis is not on the injury report after aggravating a hamstring injury in Friday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns.
—
Sacramento Bee, 17 Mar. 2025
Witt is charged with second-degree murder, aggravated robbery and three counts of menacing, all felonies, in the Feb. 11 shooting at the station near Interstate 225 and South Dallas Street.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2025
According to Yau, those with acne-prone skin should reach for a stainless steel gua sha—unlike natural stone, stainless steel is non-porous and anti-bacterial, preventing unwanted breakouts and aggravating easily congested skin.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025
That followed a report Wednesday indicating that the consumer price rate had nudged lower as well, providing some welcome news amid concerns that the Trump tariffs would aggravate inflation.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Sacramento Bee, 17 Mar. 2025
Witt is charged with second-degree murder, aggravated robbery and three counts of menacing, all felonies, in the Feb. 11 shooting at the station near Interstate 225 and South Dallas Street.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2025
According to Yau, those with acne-prone skin should reach for a stainless steel gua sha—unlike natural stone, stainless steel is non-porous and anti-bacterial, preventing unwanted breakouts and aggravating easily congested skin.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025
That followed a report Wednesday indicating that the consumer price rate had nudged lower as well, providing some welcome news amid concerns that the Trump tariffs would aggravate inflation.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravate
Verb
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With Connecticut facing the possibility of exceeding the cap by $61 million, Lamont is reining in spending, annoying some liberal Democrats who note that the state is simultaneously looking at a budget surplus.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2025
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Also keeping with that theme are tons of Marvel references to the point that Mara (who starred in 2015’s Fantastic Four) was likely getting annoyed.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But losses continued, worsened by the high inflation that had shoppers tightening their clothing budgets.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2025
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Prepare for funding challenges Securing financing before a downturn worsens can be a game-changer.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Salt grains may be irritating, especially for people with sensitive skin types.—
Susan Bard,
Health,
18 Mar. 2025
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In addition to the on-again, off-again tariffs and the militarization of the border, Trump has irritated Mexico by renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Both prove facile stabs at deepening their male counterparts.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2025
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What’s Next: The Fed, Earnings, and More Tariff Talk As investors look forward, the focus shifts to a few catalysts that could either stabilize markets or deepen the decline: The Federal Reserve’s next moves, a fresh batch of economic data, Russia Ukraine Peace talks, and the ongoing trade war.—
Adam Sarhan,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The First Amendment’s free speech protection is under siege by the Trump administration and that should bother every American, including Republicans.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2025
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By the end of the day, my T-zone had turned a little bit oily, but honestly, not enough to bother me.—
Denise Primbet,
Glamour,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This reduction in assistance could exacerbate food insecurity and negatively affect retailers that serve low-income communities.—
Solange Charas,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Even as the fire was raging, officials bitterly complained about conflicting policies that exacerbated the conflagration.—
CalMatters,
The Mercury News,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Ferrell bugs his eyes out and sighs a series of increasingly desperate spit-takes, but this project was probably doomed from the get-go.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2025
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The movie's famous final scene sees Hackman's character playing the saxophone after his paranoia has led him to destroy his entire apartment to see if it was bugged.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s hardline approach to deporting immigrants has intensified America’s already-stark partisan divide.—
Brad Heath, Joshua Schneyer, Marisa Taylor, Sarah N. Lynch, Mike Spector,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
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Trump has also intensified efforts to expand the border wall, adding new barriers along the southern border.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aggravate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravate. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
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