complicate 1 of 2

1
2
as in to deepen
to make more severe asthma that has recently been complicated by a bout of bronchitis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

complicate

2 of 2

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of complicate
Verb
Gandy’s situation is complicated by the fact that he was hired as a pro football player in California when the Rams signed him in 1994. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2025 But the novel goes on to complicate such an interpretation. Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 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
  • For some, Munir’s prominent role in deepening ties with the US have resurfaced fears about the military’s influence on Pakistan’s political landscape.
    Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Bulgari deepened its cultural engagement with India by bringing the Serpenti Infinito Exhibition to the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai — its third global stop.
    Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • One of Puth’s greatest talents is constructing songs that sound simple but are powered by dynamic chord switches and deceptively complicated harmonies.
    Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The Jets' situation is a little more complicated than that Detroit team.
    Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The dispute underscores an intensifying divide within the Democratic Party between establishment forces aligned with major donors and progressives who say those same networks are shutting out grassroots women candidates.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The tech titan has intensified its efforts to bolster affordable housing in recent years.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Indiana Daily Student has over $400,000 to spend, but the former adviser of the paper said administrators hamstrung his ability to use those funds, worsening the newspaper's deficit spending.
    Cate Charron, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease causing pain, swelling and stiffness in the knees that worsens over time.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Defensive struggles are all connected, because football is beautifully intricate like that, but the secondary is a problem.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Shortly after its dawn, dresses produced by Paris’ leading fashion houses, such as Poiret, Chanel and Lanvin, were envisaged with the same geometric, linear designs and intricate decorations that were characteristic of the revolutionary movement.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Bears lost this matchup in embarrassing fashion last year as the Commanders completed a Hail Mary with time expiring.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The games themselves are embarrassing enough to watch.
    Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 26-year-old, who scored the game’s opening goal, re-aggravated a prior injury in the latter stages of the game at the Parc des Princes.
    Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • France is struggling with mounting economic challenges and ballooning debt, and the political crisis is aggravating its troubles and raising alarm across the European Union.
    NPR, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With natural, biodegradable, and inexpensive components, such batteries could one day provide an eco-friendly alternative for powering homes or small devices without relying on toxic metals or complex supply chains.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The full and final details of what would be a very complex operation for tax and legal reasons are still being worked out, sources said.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Complicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicate. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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