1
as in difficulty
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult
the food allergies of the guests were just another complication for the couple trying to plan their wedding reception
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
complications set in after the surgery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in complexity
the state or quality of having many interrelated parts or aspects
a problem of such irreducible complication as to defy any easy solution
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complication
While most cases resolve without incident, rare complications can be deadly.
—
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
According to the Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types (FIRST) there is no cure for ichthyosis and treatment focuses on lifelong management of symptoms to improve skin comfort and reduce complications.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
But the measure has run into complications in the Senate, including questions about whether its property tax relief component is workable for area school districts, residents and the team itself.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Infections can cause fever, kidney issues, and severe breathing problems; the fatality rate for people who develop a complication known as Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, or HCPS, can be as high as fifty per cent.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for complication
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
According to the Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types (FIRST) there is no cure for ichthyosis and treatment focuses on lifelong management of symptoms to improve skin comfort and reduce complications.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
But the measure has run into complications in the Senate, including questions about whether its property tax relief component is workable for area school districts, residents and the team itself.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Infections can cause fever, kidney issues, and severe breathing problems; the fatality rate for people who develop a complication known as Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, or HCPS, can be as high as fifty per cent.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for complication
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complication
Noun
-
The 18th Street Station has a lot of stairs, so passengers with difficulty using stairs should use the McCormick Place station.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Low-mass stars such as red dwarfs vastly outnumber high-mass stars, a distribution astronomers call the 'initial mass function', but why this should be weighted towards lower-mass stars is uncertain — and certainly not helped by the difficulties in observing their growth.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hantavirus disease is considered rare, with 890 cases reported in the United States between 1993 and 2023.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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In 2024, for example, more than 700 newborns died from spontaneous bleeding in their brains, which could have been complicated by liver disease or prematurity.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Unlike most Marvel movies that have the complexity of a shopping list, this film is refreshingly deeper and boasts rare transformative arcs for various characters — and not just the lead.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
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According to May Bugenhagen, founder of Two Asian Matchmakers, this shift has introduced both opportunity and complexity.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Manager Tony Vitello shared that Webb was dealing with knee discomfort, but Webb didn’t use an ailment as an excuse for his performance.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
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The Hornets were down to seven healthy players for the final stretch of games, including Williams with an assortment of ailments.—
Joe Davidson
May 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
None of the people being monitored have shown signs of illness, health officials told USA TODAY.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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Jeremy Sochan entered as a small-ball option, and the Knicks were already piecing together frontcourt minutes with Robinson unavailable because of illness.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The victim was taken to a local hospital and listed in stable condition.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
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The person who confirmed the FBI’s search was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.—
Eric Tucker,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The expectations, the hope is so high for that prescription to be the salve for their ills.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
25 Apr. 2026
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And this one guy at this one firm can't solve all of his industry's ills.—
Sam Yellowhorse Kesler,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In court Friday, Kazarian said her client suffered from an undiagnosed neurological disorder and may have experienced a seizure at the time of the collision.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
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Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition that is marked by a mix of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression, mania and a milder form of mania called hypomania, per the Mayo Clinic.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complication.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complication. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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