as in to worsen
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Recent Examples of exacerbate
Attendees, Kessler said, will likely be more thoroughly screened going forward — exacerbating lines at entrances that can already take hours to clear.
—
ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The ripples would be felt across the five boroughs, exacerbating our ongoing crisis of child poverty if TPS holders were to lose work authorization and no longer be able to provide for their children.
—Dr. Alister Martin, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
More recently, a growing domestic gas shortage — exacerbated by the halt in new drilling and worsened by the Iran war — has revived demand for Colombia’s own coal.
—Fabiano Maisonnave, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Stress and exhaustion can make symptoms worse, according to ASHA and the Cleveland Clinic, and can be exacerbated by vocal stress, such as speaking over a crowd in a noisy place or over the phone.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The ripples would be felt across the five boroughs, exacerbating our ongoing crisis of child poverty if TPS holders were to lose work authorization and no longer be able to provide for their children.
—Dr. Alister Martin, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
More recently, a growing domestic gas shortage — exacerbated by the halt in new drilling and worsened by the Iran war — has revived demand for Colombia’s own coal.
—Fabiano Maisonnave, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Stress and exhaustion can make symptoms worse, according to ASHA and the Cleveland Clinic, and can be exacerbated by vocal stress, such as speaking over a crowd in a noisy place or over the phone.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
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The scale and location of the development have drawn concern from some residents, who say the project could worsen traffic congestion and may not be affordable for middle-class families.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, the global memory crisis has worsened, forcing tech giants to pay up for the capacity needed to satisfy their data center ambitions.—
Jordan Novet,Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The story attracted her first, a heartwarming narrative about an aquarium cleaner (Field) who looks after a giant Pacific octopus (voiced by Alfred Molina) and the young drifter (Lewis Pullman) who deepens both their lives while doing his own soul-searching.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
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Just Women’s Sports Named WNBA Emerging Media Partner Just Women’s Sports has been named an Emerging Media Partner of the WNBA ahead of the 2026 season, deepening its investment in women’s basketball.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The House Democratic campaign arm’s endorsements in two competitive primaries are aggravating some in the party who see favoritism at work.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
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The Midwest states, including Michigan, are further aggravated by production disruptions at the BP Whiting refinery in Indiana, De Haan said.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The shooting has also intensified calls by conservatives to fully fund DHS through a single bill — blaming Democrats for the shutdown and arguing that splitting apart ICE and Border Patrol funding will only give the minority party leverage.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
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Instead, the slight thaw suggests a more modest agenda that the countries should now pursue, one that acknowledges that tensions between them over fundamental issues — trade, technology, global status — are more likely to intensify than abate.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The democratization of drone warfare complicates traditional counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, requiring new doctrines, technologies, and legislative frameworks to confront the evolving threat landscape.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
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Meloni is reeling from a referendum defeat in March and facing domestic opposition to the war, complicating her position.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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