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
Even before the shutdown, student loan defaults have been mounting, and experts have said the current situation may exacerbate the problem.
—
Annie Nova, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
The risk of suspension due to the ongoing government shutdown—particularly before Thanksgiving—could exacerbate already widespread food insecurity.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Lathrop said the problem is exacerbated by the criminal justice system, where the felony minimum for larceny is $1,200 — after it was raised from $250 through state legislation in 2018 — and the courts often let the offenders go.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
The flyers warn that the ongoing shutdown is exacerbating issues caused by the nationwide air traffic controllers’ staffing shortage.
—AFAR Media, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Annie Nova, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
The risk of suspension due to the ongoing government shutdown—particularly before Thanksgiving—could exacerbate already widespread food insecurity.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Lathrop said the problem is exacerbated by the criminal justice system, where the felony minimum for larceny is $1,200 — after it was raised from $250 through state legislation in 2018 — and the courts often let the offenders go.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
The flyers warn that the ongoing shutdown is exacerbating issues caused by the nationwide air traffic controllers’ staffing shortage.
—AFAR Media, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
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The fouling problem worsens in warm climates, where biological activity peaks year-round.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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As the lamprey crisis worsened, various chemical companies sent compounds to the lab, which was searching for a panacea.—
Katie Thornton,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Japan, one of the world’s most homogeneous nations, faces deepening labor shortages as its birth rate plummets and its population ages.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Using fractional diffusion theory, the research deepens understanding of transient charging behaviors in complex materials, which is key to designing high-performance components used for advanced engineering electrochemical systems in general.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There are signs that the Russian military is repeatedly hitting the same areas to aggravate the population’s suffering.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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Purdy tried rallying in Week 4, only to aggravate his toe and shelve him the next three games and perhaps this Sunday’s.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Shared resources, intimate interactions, and unspoken bonds intensify.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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Revelations and reports on both sides of the state line, including an Overland Park real estate deal tied to the Royals, have only intensified speculation about either team’s intentions.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Here's how DaCosta's film updates and complicates its already complex, legendary central figure.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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Multiple agencies, few agency markings on cars Involvement of other federal agencies in immigration activities further complicates the situation, said Reeves, the former ICE employee.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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