complicating

present participle of complicate

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 complicating Comcast has expressed interest in acquiring all or part of Warner, Semafor can confirm, complicating life for both David Zaslav and Paramount, which has lost its head start in the bidding. Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025 Other lawsuits also are complicating decision-making. Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025 Further complicating the financial picture for Brightline is the spate of negative news stories about Las Vegas. Marc Joffe, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025 Amid the aftermath, as aid groups and Taliban bureaucrats were assisting those injured and left homeless by the earthquake, other Taliban officials twice suspended most internet and cellular reception throughout Afghanistan, complicating aid efforts. NPR, 14 Oct. 2025 Michaels took to her Instagram days after the release of Fit for TV to post a series of screenshots of text chains, email threads, and other pieces of documentation refuting or otherwise complicating each claim leveled at her. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025 But further conversation revealed a situation that was almost certainly complicating the search. Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2025 Instead, a state rule that requires overtime pay after 48 hours or 56 hours, depending on the intensity of the harvest season, is complicating their operations and resulting in some H-2A visa holders going elsewhere to work. Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025 Another possible complicating factor is that some youth teamers would be needed to fill out the travelling squad, given Barcelona have 10 senior players away on international duty. Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicating
Verb
  • The dispute highlights the deep mistrust and volatility defining relations between the two governments, with both sides reinforcing military deployments and intensifying rhetoric, raising fears of direct confrontation.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Warmer air, for example, boosts evaporation, which leads to more moisture entrained in the atmosphere, intensifying rainfalls, while warmer oceans provide an energy source for more violent hurricanes.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While the war was at full tilt, Har-Melech’s minority settler faction had been able to exercise outsize influence over Netanyahu’s decision making, deepening Israel’s entanglement in Gaza.
    Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Panama Canal at Center of US-China Tensions China has been deepening its ties with states in Central and South America and has developed important strategic relationships with Brazil, Venezuela and Peru.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tutu Atwell’s role is perplexing Every fan base has some trademark bits.
    Nate Atkins, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Taylor is accustomed to playing forceful characters who have perplexing emotions about motherhood, and in A Thousand and One, Taylor earned her stripes as a performer and acclaim.
    Essence, Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • At the time, Jassy attributed the job cuts to a worsening global economic outlook.
    Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Speaking from Toronto, where he is currently based, Persaud emphasized that while pre-storm aid delivery is limited due to worsening conditions, the real challenge will begin after the hurricane passes.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, the heist spotlights embarrassing security failings at one of France’s most venerable institutions.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The New York Mets fell short of the postseason in embarrassing fashion last season, so this offseason is going to be more important than ever.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Palmer missed two matches in August and returned only briefly before aggravating the problem against Manchester United in September.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Simplified Finding skin care that soothes redness, instead of aggravating it, can feel like a hunt.
    Christian Orozco, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This was out of respect for me, and also to avoid confusing the children.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is among those coaches expected to get real consideration in next year's head-coaching cycle, and his propensity for confusing young QBs is well known across the NFL.
    Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • German military drills last month in the northern port city of Hamburg demonstrated how like a spider, a large military drone shot a net at a smaller one in mid-flight, entangling its propellers and forcing it to the ground, where a robotic dog trotted over to seek possible explosives.
    Reuters, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The group also performed a two-qubit entangling gate with 98% fidelity, single-qubit rotations, and heating rate tests.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Complicating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicating. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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