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
Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 27 Mar. 2026
That cycle burst in 2023 and 2024 and tariffs complicated 2025, Stenclik said.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
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
Georgia Republicans swiftly approved a sweeping elections overhaul Friday that would make most local races in five core metro Atlanta counties nonpartisan — a dramatic shift that could complicate Democratic efforts to hold onto power in the state’s most populous and most liberal region.
—Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 27 Mar. 2026
That cycle burst in 2023 and 2024 and tariffs complicated 2025, Stenclik said.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
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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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
Adjective
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The complicated and delicate efforts to rescue the 12-15 meter (39-49 feet) whale off a sandbank at Timmendorfer Strand beach earlier this week captivated Germans — with media sending news alerts of updates on its progress and streaming live video from the scene.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Comparisons to the build-up to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis are now intensifying as concerns over underlying loan quality grow.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
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As his erratic behavior intensified, so did her drug abuse.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Burning more coal risks worsening smog in major cities, slowing the transition to renewable energy and increasing the region's planet-warming emissions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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The first of three ships carrying food, medical supplies, solar panels, and other humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba on Tuesday, three days behind schedule, as the island grapples with a worsening economic and energy crisis.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There are 70 structures to explore, and what sets it apart from sites such as Angkor Wat is the construction techniques – the Cham people used red bricks decorated with intricate carvings, and historians have failed to work out how these bricks were fired.—
Tamara Hinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
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Because of their intricate root systems, mangroves are uniquely resilient to the waves and wind from storms.—
Ryan Kellman,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Harbaugh has taken a blow torch to the Giants’ embarrassing special teams unit.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Tonight’s ceremony had none of the major dramatic mishaps that have both embarrassed the Academy Awards’ organizers and affirmed the event’s status as must-see live TV.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One person said the shooting aggravated a neurological condition.—
Christopher Spata,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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The move aggravated the country's existing energy crises and triggered widespread fuel shortages.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Research also suggests that state and federal gas taxes are just one component of a complex pricing scheme that includes the global price of oil and other factors, the group said.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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The scandal is now expanding into an international investigation, placing Miami at the center of a complex web of shell companies, offshore transfers and opaque financial flows.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicate. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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