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
This has exacerbated already tight supplies.
—
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Health care costs are on the rise, and that’s especially been the case for the care economy, where providers are facing funding shortfalls (that have been exacerbated by new budget cuts).
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
There is growing optimism that the global oil glut—exacerbated by ongoing OPEC production hikes—will peak in the first half of 2026, allowing for the industry to rebound in the back half of next year, CEOs said.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
The tumult of the window and the team’s start to the season exacerbated the mood.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 23 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 organization said a lack of movement by animal control exacerbated the problem.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
His own personal failures and limitations are further exacerbated when his older brother, Buster (Will Harrison), the golden child, announces his acceptance to law school.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
Instead of lead paint or gasoline, exposure millions of years ago would have come from soil and water contamination sometimes exacerbated by volcanic activity.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Health care costs are on the rise, and that’s especially been the case for the care economy, where providers are facing funding shortfalls (that have been exacerbated by new budget cuts).
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
There is growing optimism that the global oil glut—exacerbated by ongoing OPEC production hikes—will peak in the first half of 2026, allowing for the industry to rebound in the back half of next year, CEOs said.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
The tumult of the window and the team’s start to the season exacerbated the mood.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 23 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 organization said a lack of movement by animal control exacerbated the problem.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
His own personal failures and limitations are further exacerbated when his older brother, Buster (Will Harrison), the golden child, announces his acceptance to law school.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
Instead of lead paint or gasoline, exposure millions of years ago would have come from soil and water contamination sometimes exacerbated by volcanic activity.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbated
Verb
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Purdy aggravated his toe on Levi’s Stadium’s grass in Week 4, so that could happen again anywhere.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
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Colorado continues to be one of the priciest states for homeowners’ insurance due in large part to devastating hail storms and high wildfire risk and aggravated by inflation and tariffs.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Canada and Mexico have deepened ties, including promising to boost bilateral trade.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
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And today, many economic analysts and historians argue that high tariff legislation passed back in that period, called the Smoot-Hawley tariff, greatly deepened the depression and prevented economic recovery.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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RadarOnline also reported recently that the King’s health has worsened in the last few days, which tracks with this new report about how much of a toll the Prince Andrew scandal is taking on him.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even as American political polarization has intensified over the last eight years, both Republicans and Democrats have agreed that an increasingly powerful Beijing poses an economic, technological, and security threat to Washington and its close allies.—
Mira Rapp-Hooper,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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That talk of the Chiefs being helped by officials has continued into this season, and that only intensified when the virtual measurement showed the Commanders were 5 inches short of the first down.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Save as a collection on MyRecipes Who says cooking has to be complicated to be delicious?—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Oct. 2025
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What promises to be a perfect week is complicated when Sabrina meets Ian Turner (Sherwood), a handsome British visitor, at the hotel bar.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbated. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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