exacerbating

verb

present participle of exacerbate
as in worsening
to make more severe a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 exacerbating Now, soaring attacks by settlers are exacerbating the problem. — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026 Some of us would like to spend less time cursing sun damage, some of us have been honing a gentle routine for managing acne for years, and some of us want to smooth without exacerbating rosacea or eczema. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026 Analysts said that the revelation by Washington confirmed an open secret but the timing of the announcement risked exacerbating tensions with Beijing and the risk of a weapons race in space. — CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026 Saudi Arabia closed its critical East-West pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, after drones launched from Iraq damaged it, exacerbating oil supply disruptions at a time when the market is already tight. — Sean Conlon,chloe Taylor,lee Ying Shan,ananya Chetia, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026 Gallup polling shows public confidence in schools generally has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic closed classrooms, exacerbating academic declines, mental health issues and other problems. — Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 Harder to pay down debt The relentlessly high gas prices are exacerbating the affordability crisis affecting many Americans. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026 Heat is rarely the sole cause of death, often exacerbating existing health conditions. — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026 The power cuts also affected water pumping stations, exacerbating long-running concerns over access to drinking water in parts of the country. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbating
  1. worsening
  2. deepening
  3. complicating
Verb
  • Police have not revealed a motive for the attack, but court records exposed months of discord that appeared to be worsening.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The case accused school officials of unreasonably exposing McNair to the risk of heatstroke, failing to recognize the initial symptoms and inadequately providing medical care and treatment, thus worsening McNair’s condition.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • London — The United States and China have agreed to slash tariffs on $60 billion worth of goods, deepening efforts to stabilize a frequently testy relationship.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Settler attacks damaged or seized about 160 Palestinian water and sanitation structures this year, deepening shortages that are forcing farmers to abandon fields and threatening local livelihoods.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of deepening
Verb
  • In recent years, homeowners, developers and businesses have complained that navigating the Planning Department can be complicating and confusing.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Hypersonic weapons can operate between these regimes, potentially complicating detection and interception.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of complicating

Browse Nearby Words

exacerbates
exacerbating
exact
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Cite this Entry

“Exacerbating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbating. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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