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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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
  • Brown was the subject of rampant trade rumors in recent weeks, with those intensifying after the Celtics’ attempt to flip him for Giannis Antetokounmpo failed.
    — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 July 2026
  • By expanding in Houston suburbs and the Rio Grande Valley, Sam’s Club is intensifying competition with Costco, BJ’s and local grocers for membership dollars.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 6 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
  • The Red Sox squandered a golden opportunity early, loading the bases in the top of the first and coming away empty handed, but made up for it with a big second inning.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
  • In a market where production costs and inflation are already rising, loading ever more rigid obligations onto a single group of players is not a sustainable way to fund French stories.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sophisticating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophisticating. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All