sophisticating

verb

present participle of sophisticate
1
as in complicating
to make complex or difficult there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in diluting
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrup

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sophisticating Logistically accelerating techno-economic interactivity crumbles social order in auto-sophisticating machine runaway. — James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophisticating
  1. complicating
  2. diluting
  3. intensifying
  4. cutting
  5. polluting
  6. loading
  7. manipulating
  8. infecting
Verb
  • Officials said the debris was scattered across a wide area, with strong winds, rough seas and shifting ocean currents carrying floating wreckage away from the crash site, complicating efforts to locate the missing crew.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • Radar tracked a sharp turn and rapid descent over waters nearly 9,800 feet deep, complicating recovery of the main wreckage.
    — Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of complicating
Verb
  • Most experts recommend starting with 15-30 milliliters (mL), or 1-2 tablespoons, and diluting it with a full glass of water or tea.
    — Sarah Bradley, Health, 8 July 2026
  • Very few retailers have successfully built that progression without diluting individual brands.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of diluting
Verb
  • Monsoon season and an intensifying El Niño are also underway and could bring more chances for rain to the region.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • The rapid spread of chatbots and AI agents is intensifying a debate over who should be held responsible when something goes wrong.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of intensifying
Verb
  • This allows manufacturers to bypass spinning, weaving, cutting or sewing — the multistage process that has defined apparel manufacturing for centuries.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
  • The federal agency also recommends cutting away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.
    — Michelle Marchante July 10, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of cutting
Verb
  • The solution is to support federal and state legislation that encourages lower-cost, less-polluting renewable energy to speed up the transition away from environmentally damaging fossil fuels.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
  • Plastics degrade into microplastics, which in humans have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and other health issues, and which are polluting ecosystems from coral reefs to Antarctica.
    — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 26 June 2026
Definition of polluting
Verb
  • Riyadh has been diverting about four million barrels a day of crude oil from their east-west pipeline over to Yanbu, loading tankers, many of which are going out the Red Sea, data provided by Lipow showed.
    — Lee Ying Shan,Sam Meredith, CNBC, 14 July 2026
  • Add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to the washer drum or the automatic bleach dispenser before loading white clothes into the washer.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 July 2026
Definition of loading
Verb
  • This is by no means the first time that HAARP has been accused of controlling or manipulating the weather.
    — Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • After Cape Fear anchors us in those assurances, the men’s enmity continues manipulating our expectations and our beliefs.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of manipulating
Verb
  • Hendra virus typically passes from bats to horses before occasionally infecting humans.
    — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • And now, a new surge of toxicity is infecting modern masculinity.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
Definition of infecting

Browse Nearby Words

sophisticates
sophisticating
sophistication
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Cite this Entry

“Sophisticating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophisticating. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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