Synonyms of exacerbating

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

• worsening
• deepening
• complicating
• intensifying
• aggravating
• amplifying
• magnifying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• alleviating
• relieving
• mitigating
• helping
• easing
• improving
• allaying
• ameliorating
• assuaging
• bettering

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of exacerbating

The dark particles coat white snow and soak up heat from the sun, exacerbating melting that was already happening more quickly because of climate change. — Connie Hanzhang Jin, NPR, 8 Nov. 2026

With composites, thermal cycling and mechanical strain can cause cracking, exacerbating losses of molecular hydrogen. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026

This covert communication will lead to trouble, exacerbating racial inequities even as Lord Balfour eventually, foolishly brings the war back to his own doorstep. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026

And a housing shortage of roughly 4 million homes is only exacerbating the issue. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026

As with rent control, abolishing or capping property taxes addresses one symptom of the problem while exacerbating the underlying disease. — M. Nolan Gray, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026

Before the 2025 tourist season, local and state officials had an opportunity to safeguard Ruidoso and adapt to the realities of a warming climate that is exacerbating wildfires and flooding. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Those costs can eventually reach customers through higher prices, further exacerbating our affordability crisis. — Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Meanwhile, oil prices jumped Friday and Brent crude touched $110 per barrel for the first time since May, exacerbating concerns about inflationary pressures that could push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates further. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026