Synonyms of complicating

complicating

verb

present participle of complicate

1

as in intensifying

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

• intensifying
• perplexing
• embarrassing
• complexing
• confusing
• complexifying
• entangling
• expanding
• elaborating
• sophisticating
• developing
• muddling
• confounding
• mixing (up)
• tangling
• snarling
• magnifying
• messing (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• simplifying
• streamlining
• cutting
• shortening
• facilitating
• easing
• unraveling
• abbreviating
• straightening (out)
• disentangling
• untangling
• oversimplifying

2

as in deepening

to make more severe

asthma that has recently been complicated by a bout of bronchitis

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deepening
• worsening
• aggravating
• intensifying
• exacerbating
• amplifying
• magnifying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• helping
• alleviating
• mitigating
• relieving
• easing
• improving
• allaying
• ameliorating
• bettering
• assuaging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of complicating

Officials said the debris was scattered across a wide area, with strong winds, rough seas and shifting ocean currents carrying floating wreckage away from the crash site, complicating efforts to locate the missing crew. — ABC News, 9 July 2026

Radar tracked a sharp turn and rapid descent over waters nearly 9,800 feet deep, complicating recovery of the main wreckage. — Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Many alternative plant fibers are shorter, coarser and less elastic than cotton or wool, complicating processing on conventional machinery. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 7 July 2026

Containerized systems can blend into commercial transport networks, complicating enemy surveillance and targeting efforts. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026

Opponents, however, see the measure as overly reliant on standardized testing that doesn’t account for complicating factors like poverty, class size and access to resources. — Jack Harvel july 2, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026

Further complicating the situation was the fact that the Capitals were still in the hunt for a playoff spot. — Sean Gentille, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Further complicating the issue, B2B buyers don’t separate their professional and personal lives as neatly as our marketing systems do. — Paula Chiocchi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

An ongoing dispute over security provisions for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is complicating those plans, however. — Duarte Dias, CBS News, 30 June 2026