as in to worsen
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 exacerbate
Similar to the situation with nurses, pharmacy technicians have been experiencing a shortage for the past decade, and it was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
—
Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Buyers' reluctance to engage in the market, which has been exacerbated by recent fears over the direction taken by the U.S. economy under the helm of President Donald Trump, has caused a pileup of unsold homes across the country—especially in areas where developers have built more new homes.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
Interest rates and high insurance costs — which are also exacerbated by tariffs — are causing pain too.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 30 July 2025
The stress was also exacerbated by Berkowitz’s changing targets.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Buyers' reluctance to engage in the market, which has been exacerbated by recent fears over the direction taken by the U.S. economy under the helm of President Donald Trump, has caused a pileup of unsold homes across the country—especially in areas where developers have built more new homes.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
Interest rates and high insurance costs — which are also exacerbated by tariffs — are causing pain too.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 30 July 2025
The stress was also exacerbated by Berkowitz’s changing targets.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
-
This misinformation can also lead to insurance denials, distorted retirement planning, and worsened stigma.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
Most of the Corn Belt and Midwest remain drought-free, except for northern Illinois where conditions worsened, the agency said.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
Beyond product, the brand is committed to deepening its physical presence in key markets.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
24 July 2025
-
The documentary has already deepened the connection between SB19 and their fans.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
The review also noted that facial muscle exercises repeatedly fold the skin, which may induce or aggravate wrinkles rather than reduce them.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Gurley was charged with with reckless endangerment, aggravated cruelty to animals, arson, torture and injuring an animal.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
The rumors intensified after Red Bull ousted former team principal Christian Horner.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
-
At the same time, the demand for top AI talent—including researchers, engineers and data scientists—is intensifying.—
Ming-Chien Chyu,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This complicates things because Brianna can’t shake the feeling that maybe Roman was sent to spy on them.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Essence,
31 July 2025
-
Analysts see signs of a shift toward easing—possibly beginning in September—but warn that President Trump’s fiscal policies may complicate Fed chair Jerome Powell’s efforts to control inflation, regardless of rate decisions.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share