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 At Aeon Mall in Kashima, a gas explosion and collapsed upper floor killed shoppers and workers, trapping others as sweltering heat complicates painstaking searches for the missing. — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 Some of the sites where these interactions have been documented are also deeper cleaning stations that are rarely visited by divers, which further complicates assumptions about human influence. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Battery storage further complicates the solar incentives battle. — Velvet Wu july 27, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026 Aggregate economic data complicates the flight narrative further. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 July 2026 The recent unrest – which is casting doubt over local elections that begin Monday – complicates that story. — Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor, 26 July 2026 Across the country the political incentive is to keep bills down today even if doing so complicates tomorrow’s reliability challenge. — Justin Worland, Time, 25 July 2026 One thing that complicates the case is that most of the torrenting did not occur over Meta’s corporate networks. — Alex Reisner, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 Jaden's wheelchair, which carries medical supplies and comfort items, complicates flying logistics. — Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicates

Verb

The president addressed a smaller, heavily secured gathering Friday as his administration intensifies its legal and rhetorical attacks on journalists.

— Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 24 July 2026
The Chinese Communist Party purged another top official Tuesday, as Xi Jinping intensifies his anti-corruption drive.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 14 July 2026

Definition of intensifies

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

But when Dusty takes a tumble and aggravates his old wrist injury, that puts him out of the running.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.

— Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Definition of aggravates

Verb

Artificial landscape exacerbates fires Stefan Doerr, a professor of wildland fire science at Swansea University, said climate change and poor landscape management are contributing to the increasing intensity of the fires.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 27 July 2026
In a time of much antisemitism, Mamdani’s rhetoric only exacerbates the situation.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 25 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

For instance, multiple events can occur simultaneously or in succession, leading to compounding or cascading effects, such as drought that worsens wildfire risk.

— Deepti Singh, The Conversation, 24 July 2026
This innovation is vital due to a severe workforce shortage in engineering and inspection, which worsens the data gap.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026