1
as in to complex
to make complex or difficult
the need to go to both a PTA conference and condo board meeting really complicates tonight's schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in complicated
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
the kind of complicate machinery that is used in the field of robotics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complicate
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
These black specks show up each autumn, congregating on my screens and windowsill, and complicating my desire to open the window on a pleasant day.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2025
Brian Delp, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The shift would send states scrambling and complicate parents’ efforts to get young children vaccinated ahead of the coming respiratory virus season.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complicate
Verb
That one question helped complicate ideas about institutional visibility and legibility.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
These black specks show up each autumn, congregating on my screens and windowsill, and complicating my desire to open the window on a pleasant day.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Families today are more anchored: two-income households complicate moves, aging demographics keep older homeowners in place, and many are locked into mortgage rates under 4%, unwilling to trade up into costlier loans.
—Brian Delp, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The shift would send states scrambling and complicate parents’ efforts to get young children vaccinated ahead of the coming respiratory virus season.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicate
Verb
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Japan, one of the world’s most homogeneous nations, faces deepening labor shortages as its birth rate plummets and its population ages.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Using fractional diffusion theory, the research deepens understanding of transient charging behaviors in complex materials, which is key to designing high-performance components used for advanced engineering electrochemical systems in general.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The flare suggests there are unknown populations of giant stars near the centers of large galaxies, which also host supermassive black holes — and sheds light on the complicated interactions between two behemoths.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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What unites them is Dern’s ability to find the humanity in characters navigating life’s most complicated terrain.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Violence has intensified, humanitarian aid remains blocked, and political prisoners, including my mother, remain behind bars.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Yet even among a number of Christians seeking to raise awareness and intensify efforts to put an end to systematic abuses committed by Boko Haram and other jihadi movements, the prospect of foreign intervention raises serious concerns.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Their fate worsened when star striker Barbra Banda, who was crowned NWSL Championship MVP last year, was injured during a mid-August match, ending her season.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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Esperance, the human-rights advocate who once opposed a foreign intervention and has since changed his mind as the gang violence worsens, said any election held now would in effect turn the country over to the gangs.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As some of nature’s most impressive architects, spiders construct intricate webs—some of which even glow under UV light—using various silk types.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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Detailed Furniture While most grandmother's homes are filled with old furniture, there's value in the pieces that have intricate detailing and the ability to have a second life with a new owner.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Kardashian doesn’t embarrass herself, because her role doesn’t ask much of her to begin with.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
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Still, the former University of Miami standout did not want to be dealt, even publicly stating that just hours after the Dolphins’ embarrassing 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Petrol price increases and the naira currency’s unstable exchange rate to the dollar had driven inflation beyond 30% last year, aggravating a cost of living crisis.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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There are signs that the Russian military is repeatedly hitting the same areas to aggravate the population’s suffering.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The reality is that housing production is a very complex issue.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
5 Nov. 2025
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And the drive to solve complex problems started early.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicate. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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