as in worsening
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Recent Examples of exacerbating
Slowing growth is exacerbating the trend, the report said.
—
Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
Chronic stress acts as both a trigger and an exacerbating factor for migraines.
—Danielle Wilhour, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
The negotiators appeared to want to give themselves plenty of time to try to reach a deal, in part to avoid exacerbating the global industry contraction.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 2 May 2026
California is being hammered with more frequent and devastating catastrophes, and that’s making the entire insurance market riskier and more expensive, exacerbating mistakes made by government and the private sector alike.
—Ben Allen, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
But Rounds said residents stressed the need for additional spaces on the property to avoid exacerbating the community’s parking shortage by forcing residents and staff to park on local streets.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Attendees, Kessler said, will likely be more thoroughly screened going forward — exacerbating lines at entrances that can already take hours to clear.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
More than 30 million people in need of aid, 12 million displaced, the majority inside Sudan with the refugees outside borders exacerbating regional instability.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 26 Apr. 2026
The ripples would be felt across the five boroughs, exacerbating our ongoing crisis of child poverty if TPS holders were to lose work authorization and no longer be able to provide for their children.
—Dr. Alister Martin, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
Chronic stress acts as both a trigger and an exacerbating factor for migraines.
—Danielle Wilhour, The Conversation, 5 May 2026
The negotiators appeared to want to give themselves plenty of time to try to reach a deal, in part to avoid exacerbating the global industry contraction.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 2 May 2026
California is being hammered with more frequent and devastating catastrophes, and that’s making the entire insurance market riskier and more expensive, exacerbating mistakes made by government and the private sector alike.
—Ben Allen, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
But Rounds said residents stressed the need for additional spaces on the property to avoid exacerbating the community’s parking shortage by forcing residents and staff to park on local streets.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Attendees, Kessler said, will likely be more thoroughly screened going forward — exacerbating lines at entrances that can already take hours to clear.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
More than 30 million people in need of aid, 12 million displaced, the majority inside Sudan with the refugees outside borders exacerbating regional instability.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 26 Apr. 2026
The ripples would be felt across the five boroughs, exacerbating our ongoing crisis of child poverty if TPS holders were to lose work authorization and no longer be able to provide for their children.
—Dr. Alister Martin, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbating
Verb
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Local officials are hopeful the money can help prevent future upticks in land movement and, ideally, formalize a new pathway for additional federal funding to address the city’s ongoing hazards and worsening budget crisis.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Two other sloths, Habanero and Bandit, also died because of their condition worsening after being rescued by the zoo.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Tensions around this trade are deepening – playing out against a backdrop in which Beijing seeks stability in its relationship with the US, but also holds close economic and diplomatic ties with Iran.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
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While one-person shows are often built to showcase an actor’s shape-shifting skills, Lowe’s script, Meltzer’s direction and Rosenberg’s performance use the many supporting characters as a means of deepening Moses’ story.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Malaysia’s maritime agency says the transfers happen beyond its territorial waters and radar coverage, complicating enforcement efforts, while critics argue the nation is facilitating rather than merely tolerating the trade.—
Eileen Ng,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Because symptoms can take weeks to show up, additional cases could still emerge, complicating public health efforts to contact trace possible exposures and transmission chains.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbating. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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