as in to worsen
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Recent Examples of exacerbate
When a community and its people fail to uphold this value, as the Satmar community and Weberman continue to do, that failure becomes a secondary betrayal of survivors that deepens and exacerbates their original trauma.
—
Guila Benchimol, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Allowing pregnant women to use an already-inadequate number of parking spaces has exacerbated problems for Keller and other people with disabilities, the legal challenge said.
—Dara Kam, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Rising global temperatures are exacerbating the problem.
—Dinesh Phuyal, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
Most of the deaths were connected to the outages and included cases of hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and medical conditions exacerbated by freezing temperatures, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Guila Benchimol, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Allowing pregnant women to use an already-inadequate number of parking spaces has exacerbated problems for Keller and other people with disabilities, the legal challenge said.
—Dara Kam, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Rising global temperatures are exacerbating the problem.
—Dinesh Phuyal, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
Most of the deaths were connected to the outages and included cases of hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and medical conditions exacerbated by freezing temperatures, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
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On the other hand, by lowering rates to stimulate hiring, the Fed threatens to boost spending and worsen inflation.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The betrayal was exacerbated by back-and-forth arguing online and the posting of explicit material, only worsened when the two groups met up in Oakland the night of the shooting.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The tools marketed as the future of efficiency may deepen environmental pressures and amplify conflict around extraction, especially in places where communities already struggle to defend land and water rights.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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When a child or young adult shows signs of anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm or suicidal ideation, indecision and adult conflict can deepen the harm.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After the game, head coach Doc Rivers confirmed to reporters that Antetokounmpo aggravated the calf injury which sidelined him for three-plus weeks in December.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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But in other parts of the city the presence of ICE was aggravating existing antipathy for local law enforcement.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The visits focus on loneliness and emotional distress, issues that many survivors say have intensified amid the war in Ukraine and rising antisemitism in the United States.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Once markets started moving lower, thin liquidity intensified such price movements, according to several analysts who provided input for this article.—
Charles Lloyd Bovaird II,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What complicates this week is that both games are on the road against upper-tier Mountain West opponents.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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That dynamic could complicate both for and against narratives about AI.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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