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

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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

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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 This shift complicates Colorado's inclusive pre-K initiative aimed at ensuring that virtually all 4-year-olds in the state get a pre-K education. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026 Georgia Supreme Court ruling complicates property tax relief proposals. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 29 Oct. 2026 For Rick Tankersley, the former vice chancellor for research who chaired the commission, that history complicates treating R1 as a signature accomplishment of Gaber’s tenure. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2026 Its long history of repairs, however, complicates archaeological dating, Storchan said. — Michele Chabin, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026 Retired University of Chicago economist Sam Peltzman also complicates the picture. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026 For Crujeiras, that history complicates the familiar narrative of Miami’s recovery. — Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 Hyun-tae has long been convinced that romance only complicates life. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026 Trump’s post outlining a clear plan for construction complicates a federal court hearing scheduled for Monday in a lawsuit filed by the DC Preservation League and two golfers opposing the construction. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicates

Verb

The nonbinding vote comes as Washington intensifies pressure on Cuba, whose fuel shortages have fueled power outages disrupting cooking, water service and communications.

— Farnoush Amiri, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Trump’s influence over Republican voters intensifies these incentives.

— Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of intensifies

Verb

Twisted Teens’ most compelling quality might be the fact that their obvious reverence for rock’n’roll history still leaves plenty of room for mystery, and the intrigue deepens on The Holy Cross Tigers, the group’s third full-length of 2026.

— Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
Rent the model, own the harness, own your context, and join the network that refines the outside world rather than digging the well that only deepens your own.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of deepens

Verb

Or from locking up Mick Cronin through 2030, even though UCLA’s prickly basketball coach embarrasses the university annually and hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2023.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 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

Extreme heat exacerbates underlying health conditions that tend to be more prevalent in communities of color where rates of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular disease are higher than the Chicago average, according to city data.

— Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Hamilton once noted in a sermon that cattle ranching exacerbates climate change.

— Emma Green, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of exacerbates

Verb

The legal system dehumanizes her, the support group confuses her, and one of her friends painfully disappoints her.

— Carey Purcell, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
This confuses each Nyota but also those around them, who note that the Nyotas have rather quickly assumed new hairstyles but also that neither is behaving quite like herself.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of confuses

Verb

Although researchers and experts know that hormonal changes can influence how the nervous system processes pain and may heighten pain sensitivity, researchers have yet to establish whether declining estrogen directly worsens fibromyalgia.

— Cheyenne Buckingham, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
French bond turmoil worsens French social and political volatility is compounded by an emerging fiscal crisis, which on Thursday pushed its benchmark government borrowing cost to a fresh 24-year high.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026