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

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 exacerbate Hot temperatures exacerbate drought impacts, and vice versa, making surviving in the desert even more difficult for wildlife. John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Registered psychologists Tammy Schamuhn and Tania Johnson, who co-founded The Institute of Child Psychology, argued that homework after school only exacerbates the problem. Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025 There’s some thought that an increase in diagnoses of early-onset colorectal cancer could be exacerbated by differences in screening for younger versus older patients. Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025 The disaster comes as Sudan's war is exacerbating its humanitarian crisis. Robert Birsel john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
  • The company travels to Rome, where Blackshirts march in the piazzas, but Duse’s health worsens.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Checking in with a pediatrician, school counselor, or a mental health professional can provide guidance before patterns worsen.
    Adrienne Farr, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For Josie Ferreira, a New Yorker attending her third cookout, the event is a rare chance to gather across boroughs and deepen bonds.
    Essence, Essence, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Esmeralda seems clearly intended as an instant fan favorite, a go-to source of big, broad laughs who somehow deepens with every new quirk.
    Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But the attacker re-aggravated his hamstring at the club’s training hub in Rush Green.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • What is required is a pullback - on huge deficits, on aggravating international and internal relationships, and on the undermining of historical foundations of the United States.
    John S. Tobey, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Magnet programs and schools were a way to promote voluntary integration, though locally the magnet system has intensified the city's racial and economic divide, a previous Courier Journal investigation found.
    Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That means your contract will be administered by a third party, American Auto Shield, which can complicate the claims approval process.
    Brian Sloan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
  • There are a number of majority-minority districts in blue states as well which, if viewed by the Court as unconstitutionally created, could further complicate blue-state efforts to respond to Texas-style extreme gerrymandering.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

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“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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