COMPLICATES Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

complicates

verb

present tense third-person singular of complicate

as in intensifies

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 deepens

to make more severe asthma that has recently been complicated by a bout of bronchitis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 complicates His unique contract, featuring a high salary, an opt-out clause, and a no-trade clause, complicates any potential move. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Porzingis’ return complicates that possibility in terms of salary cap room and playing time. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 June 2026 That puts the spindle in an unusual size class that complicates experiments. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 29 June 2026 And then there are the access bridges for pedestrians and vehicles at many circuits — the drone has to dodge above these, which also complicates how it can’t be used near spectators. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 30 June 2026 The lack of direct talks further complicates efforts to find a lasting end to the conflict and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 30 June 2026 For Tokyo, that complicates the effectiveness of any unilateral intervention. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 July 2026 Strict government oversight complicates OpenAI's and Anthropic's attempts to go public. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 3 July 2026 The instinctive Moon settles into your 4th House of Home, while rule-making Saturn in your 11th House of Friends sets structure, creating a quincunx that complicates plans and messages. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicates

Verb

Indeed, the administration’s assault on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act intensifies the damage.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
If employees are expected to produce the same output in less time without better systems in place, the pressure simply intensifies.

— Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Definition of intensifies

Verb

This offers free creative variations for small businesses but deepens brands' reliance on Meta's ecosystem, making the advertising 'frame' more costly despite free images.

— Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
The aluminum venture also deepens the relationship between IHC — chaired by Abu Dhabi’s deputy ruler Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed — and billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate, following IHC’s $2 billion investment in Adani companies in 2022.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of deepens

Verb

Graft inquiry embarrasses Zelensky Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.

— Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?

— Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026

Definition of embarrasses

Verb

Detainees had little access to recreational activities and time outside, which mental health experts say exacerbates their despair.

— Perla Trevizo, ProPublica, 3 July 2026
The outbreak exacerbates existing vulnerabilities like conflict, malnutrition, and low vaccination rates, while fear deters routine healthcare.

— Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of exacerbates

Verb

These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
But nobody confuses Harvard Extension School classes with the real thing.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026

Definition of confuses

Verb

Once the finish is damaged, stains cling more easily, leading people to scrub even harder, which worsens the problem.

— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026
From Montesquieu’s perspective, polarization worsens this appetite for disregarding constitutional norms.

— Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026