1
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect
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Recent Examples of worsen
Longtime residents of Fort Worth’s Wedgwood Square say crime in their area has worsened in recent years, and Fort Worth police haven’t done enough to combat it.
—
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Feb. 2026
Texas Civil Rights Project Slightly struggling with her words, the 11-year-old girl described experiencing worsening headaches and persistent body pain, particularly in a foot and a hand, in a brief phone conversation with NBC News this month.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026
Elevated stress hormones such as cortisol may worsen cholesterol patterns over time, and inadequate sleep is linked to insulin resistance.
—Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 23 Feb. 2026
Crews located five additional victims that evening, but worsening weather and avalanche conditions forced them to pause recovery operations.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for worsen
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Feb. 2026
Texas Civil Rights Project Slightly struggling with her words, the 11-year-old girl described experiencing worsening headaches and persistent body pain, particularly in a foot and a hand, in a brief phone conversation with NBC News this month.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026
Elevated stress hormones such as cortisol may worsen cholesterol patterns over time, and inadequate sleep is linked to insulin resistance.
—Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 23 Feb. 2026
Crews located five additional victims that evening, but worsening weather and avalanche conditions forced them to pause recovery operations.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for worsen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsen
Verb
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As her vision deteriorates, Penny turns to psychoanalysis not in hopes of reversing her condition, but to confront years of denial and silence.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2026
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Common findings from sewer scopes include root intrusion at joints (especially common in clay pipes), belly or sag in the line where water pools, cracked or offset joints, and deteriorated Orangeburg sections.—
Allison Palmer
Updated February 19,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the situation is still aggravating for patients like Oakland Park resident Anna Mae Dominguez.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
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Every year this doesn’t happen, Cohen grows more aggravated.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This recipe combines the deep green veg with cannellini beans and crumbled Italian sausage for a quickie one-dish meal.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
23 Feb. 2026
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Her private life, too, was beginning to crumble.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lopez’s remarks underscore the deepening rift with the union and charter advocates.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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Lula arrived in India for a state visit on Wednesday that will last through to Sunday, seeking to deepen ties with India which, like Brazil, is a founding member of the BRICS+ bloc of developing nations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There were nearly 800 players who descended on Bishop Moore Catholic High School on Saturday, the largest Under Armour Combine in the country, all looking for invites to Sunday’s Camp Series invitation-only event.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
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The historically Black community, made up primarily of working-class families, didn’t receive evacuation alerts until the fire had already descended on their neighborhoods.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tensions have since intensified, with Washington continuing to deploy military assets across the Middle East.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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The debate over how much university administrators should make, relative to staff and faculty, was intensified by recent raises for those at the top of the pay scale.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cassia County Sheriff Jarrod Thompson’s office declined to comment Thursday and directed the Statesman back to Larsen.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
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Durant declined to address the allegation directly on Wednesday.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Russia, too, has also seen a longer-term trend downwards in its fertility rate exacerbated by the war.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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There are different reasons a person might want to scream, whether they have been told to stay silent about abuse experienced as a child, or have been dismissed or ignored as an adult, or are struggling with a political landscape that has exacerbated feelings of fear, anger and frustration.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worsen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worsen. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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