as in aggravated
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Recent Examples of exacerbated
Steep aid cuts have exacerbated existing food security crises—whether from Russia’s war with Ukraine disrupting international food supplies or farmers losing tens of billions of dollars due to climate change.
—
Reem Alabali Radovan, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
The betrayal was exacerbated by back-and-forth arguing online and the posting of explicit material, only worsened when the two groups met up in Oakland the night of the shooting.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Searching for stability The sense that other closures or changes could be coming soon has exacerbated a sense of uncertainty for some families looking for stability at their new campuses.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Newcastle, however, never quite filled the Guimaraes void, which was exacerbated further when Joelinton was forced off with a groin problem.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Allowing pregnant women to use an already-inadequate number of parking spaces has exacerbated problems for Keller and other people with disabilities, the legal challenge said.
—Dara Kam, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Most of the deaths were connected to the outages and included cases of hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and medical conditions exacerbated by freezing temperatures, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026
Prison control dispute What has now exacerbated this already fragile security situation is a dispute between the SDF and the Syrian government.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 23 Jan. 2026
It was exacerbated last July when the Twins used the trade deadline to ship 11 veterans — 10 playing major roles on a team that still had a chance of making the playoffs — to other teams for prospects.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
Reem Alabali Radovan, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
The betrayal was exacerbated by back-and-forth arguing online and the posting of explicit material, only worsened when the two groups met up in Oakland the night of the shooting.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Searching for stability The sense that other closures or changes could be coming soon has exacerbated a sense of uncertainty for some families looking for stability at their new campuses.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Newcastle, however, never quite filled the Guimaraes void, which was exacerbated further when Joelinton was forced off with a groin problem.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Allowing pregnant women to use an already-inadequate number of parking spaces has exacerbated problems for Keller and other people with disabilities, the legal challenge said.
—Dara Kam, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Most of the deaths were connected to the outages and included cases of hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and medical conditions exacerbated by freezing temperatures, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026
Prison control dispute What has now exacerbated this already fragile security situation is a dispute between the SDF and the Syrian government.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 23 Jan. 2026
It was exacerbated last July when the Twins used the trade deadline to ship 11 veterans — 10 playing major roles on a team that still had a chance of making the playoffs — to other teams for prospects.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbated
Verb
-
After the game, head coach Doc Rivers confirmed to reporters that Antetokounmpo aggravated the calf injury which sidelined him for three-plus weeks in December.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Cucul-Bol was sentenced to 30 years in prison after accepting a plea deal for charges including leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, aggravated DUI resulting in death and reckless homicide.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The trajectory is not altered; instead, existing advancements are deepened and extended.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The fatal shooting sparked demonstrations nationwide and has deepened fissures between federal and state officials.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The frigid winter weather in Dallas-Fort Worth and across the country has worsened the nation’s already low blood supply, according to the American Red Cross.—
Ciara McCarthy
January 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Jan. 2026
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Despite the general view that conditions have not worsened, most people noted ongoing difficult conditions for many small businesses.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His announcement comes as Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy and logistics infrastructure, worsening conditions for civilians as winter temperatures plunge.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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Asked earlier about the impact of the press coverage during the years-long legal fight, the prince said the situation had only intensified.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before the world complicated things with espresso machines, oat milk debates, and influencers lecturing to you about grind size, wild coffee trees were clinging to the Ethiopian highlands.—
John Noakes,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
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But the consistent message from some of the leading experts in the world is that your workout doesn't need to be complicated.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbated. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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