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
As California schools face worsening economic conditions, many districts are bolstering their reserves to stave off deficits.
—
Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
These efforts to tackle the high cost of living will thus worsen its causes—in Virginia, New York, and elsewhere.
—Judge Glock, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images BEIJING — Chinese policymakers may be finally warming to the idea of tackling the country’s worsening real estate slump, raising expectations that stronger support measures could be coming later this year.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
Furthermore, a recent survey from Enterprise Minnesota found that 53% of manufacturers report the business climate is worsening due to new labor mandates.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for worsen
Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
These efforts to tackle the high cost of living will thus worsen its causes—in Virginia, New York, and elsewhere.
—Judge Glock, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images BEIJING — Chinese policymakers may be finally warming to the idea of tackling the country’s worsening real estate slump, raising expectations that stronger support measures could be coming later this year.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
Furthermore, a recent survey from Enterprise Minnesota found that 53% of manufacturers report the business climate is worsening due to new labor mandates.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for worsen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsen
Verb
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The price of gold, long understood to be the investor’s refuge against a deteriorating dollar, is sounding an alarm.—
Bruce Yandle,
Twin Cities,
9 Jan. 2026
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When those conditions are absent, performance deteriorates quickly.—
Katerin Le Folcalvez,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The model comes with three attachments, including a crevice tool that helps remove allergy-aggravating dust, pet hair, and debris.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't make any moves at the NFL trade deadline, aggravating their fanbase in the process.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Along with everything else, Johnson sought to erase the Murphy’s Law mentality of a team that always seemed to find ways to crumble in big moments.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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McKnight was temporarily living in a crumbling budget hotel nearby.—
Saumya Roy,
The Dial,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Grappling hooks, 30-foot ladder The Sigourney Street tower’s decline began deepening in 2024 with the proliferation of graffiti and tagging, much of which was later removed from the brick exterior.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
11 Jan. 2026
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Tensions between China and Japan are deepening as a diplomatic row over Taiwan morphs into an urgent economic conflict.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The trail stays level early on and crosses the road a couple of times before descending through a grove of Arizona cypress to a shallow drainage.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Senate’s negotiations on reopening the government are descending into another impasse.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For immigration advocates in the Bay Area, Good’s death has intensified long-standing concerns about intimidation and retaliation against those who monitor federal agents.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The chaos intensified after someone threw a snowball.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When asked about its plans, McDonald's declined to comment to Fox News Digital.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
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Due to ongoing litigation, the airline declined to comment further.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While fast charging is already challenging at room temperature, low temperatures exacerbate kinetic limitations, triggering lithium plating on graphite anodes and sharply reducing available capacity.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
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Experts say systemic racism and implicit bias from health care providers are among the factors that exacerbate this disparity, contributing to delays in care or symptoms being dismissed.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worsen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worsen. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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