1
as in difficulties
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
Relevance
2
as in diseases
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
complications set in after the surgery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 complications
About 20% of unvaccinated people who get measles will be hospitalized, and 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children who are infected will die from complications of the disease, according to the CDC.
—
Audrey Dutton, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, other council members have pushed back, citing the streetcar's boost to downtown property values and complications of paying back federal funding.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Guthrie died in 1967 at age 55 from complications of Huntington’s disease.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
At the same time, private developers kept experimenting with new reactor designs that required different components and introduced fresh complications.
—Brad Plumer, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025
Now there is artificial intelligence to deal with, with its endless legal complications.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Crystallized uric acid is still something no one wants in their body, but a better understanding of reptiles’ evolutionary urate solution may one day help develop new treatments for related human health complications.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
Also diagnosed was former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who died by suicide in 2017 while serving a prison sentence for murder, and former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who died in 2021 from complications of a seizure disorder.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Patients with pneumonia might face complications, including sepsis or bacteria in the bloodstream, difficulty breathing, fluid around the lungs and abscesses in the lungs.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
Audrey Dutton, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, other council members have pushed back, citing the streetcar's boost to downtown property values and complications of paying back federal funding.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Guthrie died in 1967 at age 55 from complications of Huntington’s disease.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
At the same time, private developers kept experimenting with new reactor designs that required different components and introduced fresh complications.
—Brad Plumer, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025
Now there is artificial intelligence to deal with, with its endless legal complications.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Crystallized uric acid is still something no one wants in their body, but a better understanding of reptiles’ evolutionary urate solution may one day help develop new treatments for related human health complications.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
Also diagnosed was former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who died by suicide in 2017 while serving a prison sentence for murder, and former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who died in 2021 from complications of a seizure disorder.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Patients with pneumonia might face complications, including sepsis or bacteria in the bloodstream, difficulty breathing, fluid around the lungs and abscesses in the lungs.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complications
Noun
-
Running an international night train is not without its difficulties.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The Barca and Madrid hierarchies have battled together for common causes like the European Super League, which Perez has been pushing for decades, and which Laporta saw as a possible handy solution for Barca’s financial difficulties.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Instead, the soldiers carried bacteria that cause enteric fever and relapsing fever, two diseases that may have hastened the army’s downfall.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Both diseases would have been deadly in the early 1800s in the absence of sanitary conditions and antibiotics.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Pisecco, the clinic director at Pisecco & Associates, PLLC—a practice that supports children and families navigating the complexities of autism and behavioral challenges—agrees.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Investing in these products can entail added risks and complexities, advisors said.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
First, Yung suggested speaking with a doctor to rule out any underlying illnesses.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Getting into conflict with strays can leave them with severe injuries or new illnesses, which can be contracted from scratches or bites.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Salmonella rarely results in more serious ailments, which can include arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.—
Eva Wen,
jsonline.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
This is based on a mix of historical accounts, the discovery of body lice on the remains of soldiers (which carried the pathogens that transmitted the ailments), and DNA analyses conducted nearly a decade ago.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The warnings also underscore the early arrival of winter weather, signaling that colder, stormier conditions are setting in across much of the region.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Heat, drought and other poor weather conditions have hurt coffee production globally in recent years, causing prices to surge.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Pathogens in human poop can remain active for a long time – over a year in outdoor environments – meaning that waste left behind today can cause severe gastrointestinal disease and other sicknesses for future visitors.—
B. Derrick Taff,
The Conversation,
29 Aug. 2025
-
All their triumphs, all their sleepless nights, their loves and hates, their sicknesses, their schemes, their rises to power and their falls from it -- all gone.—
Paul Prather,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2016
Noun
-
For all their ills, the Chargers are in first place.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The retraction was expected by many nutrition experts, who have long questioned claims that this kind of vinegar could remedy ills including obesity, diabetes, and even cancer.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complications.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complications. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share