as in to worsen
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exacerbate
The Saudi Foreign Ministry also warned in a statement that the strikes were exacerbating tensions in the region.
—
Sarah Dean, NBC news, 12 June 2026
Overcrowded plants and a lack of natural predators can exacerbate an aphid problem, as well.
—Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Although the Federal Reserve trimmed interest rates in 2024 and 2025, the cost of borrowing remains elevated as concerns over inflation grow, exacerbated by oil price spikes and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
—John W. Diamond, Fortune, 12 June 2026
These housing communities were largely underfunded, poorly maintained and often exacerbated issues of racial and economic segregation in American cities.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Sarah Dean, NBC news, 12 June 2026
Overcrowded plants and a lack of natural predators can exacerbate an aphid problem, as well.
—Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Although the Federal Reserve trimmed interest rates in 2024 and 2025, the cost of borrowing remains elevated as concerns over inflation grow, exacerbated by oil price spikes and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
—John W. Diamond, Fortune, 12 June 2026
These housing communities were largely underfunded, poorly maintained and often exacerbated issues of racial and economic segregation in American cities.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
-
Ongoing construction worsened the situation, but shortly after the interchange, traffic eased.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
China’s economic imbalance worsened in May as retail sales fell at the fastest pace in years, while industrial output accelerated, new data showed.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Starmer has vowed to fight any leadership contest, deepening the sense of crisis within the Labour Party.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
In the years following 2020, cities nationwide experienced alarming increases in homicides, shootings and other crime as the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life, destabilized local economies and deepened distrust in public institutions.—
Diane Goldstein,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
He was removed from last Sunday’s game against the Mets after aggravating his hamstring running out a single.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Finding timely health care has been hard, aggravated by a lack of transportation.—
Elizabeth Cooney,
STAT,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, the pace of technological change is accelerating, and global competition is intensifying.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
-
As supporters continued singing, waving flags and celebrating into the evening, anticipation for the match only intensified.—
J.M. Banks
June 15,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
This unforeseen shift now complicates Milwaukee's efforts to acquire a substantial draft-heavy package for their superstar.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Trump previously planned to hold a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in May but canceled plans because of poor weather that would have complicated the helicopter flight to the retreat.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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