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
The limited job gains also are coming from practically a single source, exacerbating those concerns.
—
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
And some experts suggest that climate change is exacerbating the crisis, as many homes are underinsured for natural disasters, which are increasing in frequency.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
The disaster comes as Sudan's war is exacerbating its humanitarian crisis.
—Robert Birsel
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Traditionally, the help Congress has offered buyers — including subsidies and low-cost loans — has spurred demand, exacerbating these supply pressures.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Many Americans identify as moderates, but we’re often exposed to the loudest voices on either political extreme, exacerbating the growing sense of polarization.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
This caused ductwork to condensate and fill with water, which in turn increased the humidity in the building, exacerbating an already humid summer.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Potentially exacerbating the problem that Mamdani aims his tax plan at those living in New York City.
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The hunger crisis in Gaza is at a tipping point, with critically low supplies of fortified milk and special nutritious pastes exacerbating food shortages and pushing greater numbers of children into starvation, according to aid agencies, malnutrition experts and the United Nations.
—Dawoud Abu Alkas, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
And some experts suggest that climate change is exacerbating the crisis, as many homes are underinsured for natural disasters, which are increasing in frequency.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
The disaster comes as Sudan's war is exacerbating its humanitarian crisis.
—Robert Birsel
john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Traditionally, the help Congress has offered buyers — including subsidies and low-cost loans — has spurred demand, exacerbating these supply pressures.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Many Americans identify as moderates, but we’re often exposed to the loudest voices on either political extreme, exacerbating the growing sense of polarization.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
This caused ductwork to condensate and fill with water, which in turn increased the humidity in the building, exacerbating an already humid summer.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Potentially exacerbating the problem that Mamdani aims his tax plan at those living in New York City.
—Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The hunger crisis in Gaza is at a tipping point, with critically low supplies of fortified milk and special nutritious pastes exacerbating food shortages and pushing greater numbers of children into starvation, according to aid agencies, malnutrition experts and the United Nations.
—Dawoud Abu Alkas, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbating
Verb
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Affirm went public on the Nasdaq in 2021 and — like Klarna — took a battering in 2022 as worsening macroeconomic conditions resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war hammered tech stocks.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Florida, along with California and Texas, is particularly vulnerable to worsening natural disasters fueled by climate change, and the cost to insure a home has risen precipitously as a result.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Reuters — Ethiopia officially inaugurated Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam on Tuesday, a project that will provide energy to millions of Ethiopians while deepening a rift with downstream Egypt that has unsettled the region.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
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The meeting of the bloc of mostly developing nations comes as South Korea mulls joining the CPTPP, a pan-Pacific free trade group, while European officials head to New Delhi for talks on deepening economic ties and India looks to tighten technological cooperation with Singapore.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Increasing barriers and complicating transactions will not help.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Sep. 2025
-
When performance declines, there are so many complicating factors to consider to arrive at the root issue.—
Melinda Fouts,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbating. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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