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
After missing the previous two games, Purdy aggravated his right big toe injury in Sunday’s 26-21 home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, calling into question his availability for Thursday’s game at the Los Angeles Rams.
—
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
Money could be at the heart of the power struggle when Mars aggravates Pluto.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
So did Case Keenum after Sam Bradford aggravated an old knee injury.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
His criminal history includes convictions for felony grand larceny, felony aggravated DUI with a child passenger less than 16 years old, identify theft, and retail theft.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
Money could be at the heart of the power struggle when Mars aggravates Pluto.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
So did Case Keenum after Sam Bradford aggravated an old knee injury.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
His criminal history includes convictions for felony grand larceny, felony aggravated DUI with a child passenger less than 16 years old, identify theft, and retail theft.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravate
Verb
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He was annoyed when people advocated that.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
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Some people may be annoyed with thousands of fake videos of themselves flooding the internet, but Paul seems to be amused by it.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Laing also cautioned that sardines contain purines, which may cause a buildup of uric acid and worsen symptoms like joint pain and swelling for people with gout.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
10 Oct. 2025
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Pain may worsen at night or in the morning, not improve with rest, and differ from common muscle or digestive issues.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Always dilute apple cider vinegar with water and drink through a straw to avoid damaging tooth enamel and irritating the esophagus.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
2 Oct. 2025
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The decision by Aaron Turner, Kuminga’s agent, to go on a media tour in recent weeks while negotiating publicly in hopes of landing a better offer for Kuminga, irritated some with the organization, according to league sources.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The following year, several lawmakers were accused of failing to report income or disclose kickbacks, deepening public frustration.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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The board’s challenge lies in deepening their expertise while being intentional about protecting their bandwidth given the sheer volume of information and pace of change.—
Lara Abrash,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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House Republicans haven’t even bothered to show up to work since the shutdown began.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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What continued to bother him was the strange feeling of impending disaster.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That increase came as Thailand also saw heavy rainfall amid its monsoon season, as well as extreme weather that has been exacerbated by climate change.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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Lawyers for the city of Chicago and state of Illinois have argued that the deployment of National Guardsmen will decrease public safety, exacerbate tensions in the city and infringe on the state’s sovereignty.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
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Banks has bugged Kerkering to clean his locker, to no avail.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Padrino also accused Washington of sharply intensifying aerial surveillance of Venezuela, citing a surge in spy flights last month.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
9 Oct. 2025
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And, as the first phase of his Gaza peace plan makes headway, the focus on the prospect of him winning is intensifying.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aggravate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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