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worsened

verb

past tense of worsen
1
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggravated
to make more severe the harsh winter only worsened the fuel shortage

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 worsened The situation has clearly worsened with the temporary shutdown of the Saudi East-West pipeline. — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026 As Stevie prepped her fifth album, Street Angel, her issues with Klonopin worsened. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026 That worsened inflation worries and cranked up pressure in the bond market, helping send stocks lower again on Wall Street. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Indonesia has been plagued by forest and land fires for decades, but an intensifying El Niño pattern this year and a prolonged dry season worsened the impact of the fires. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026 McArn argued that rescinding the MOU had worsened the district’s financial position and reiterated that restoring the agreement would help the district stay afloat. — Chaewon Chung updated September 10, Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2026 The toll has been worsened because of the country's widespread malnutrition, which increases the risk of severe illness and death from a measles infection. — Ali Asif Shawon, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026 Red Line service was later canceled as the disruption worsened. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026 The central bank officially raised concerns about AI in July, listing the threats of a potential stock market bubble, worsened cybersecurity vulnerabilities and AI companies’ increasingly complex and opaque debt. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 7 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsened
  1. deteriorated
  2. aggravated
  3. crumbled
  4. intensified
  5. descended
  6. deepened
  7. declined
  8. complicated
Verb
  • Ties between the two countries, which had deteriorated sharply following a deadly border skirmish in 2020, have been thawing for more than a year.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • An individual company can maintain excellent controls and favorable claims experience while still facing higher pricing because the market has deteriorated around it.
    — Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • The rape aggravated the woman’s existing brain damage and seizure disorder, the lawsuit said.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Gian Piero Gasperini’s high-pressing style was too intense and aggravated the risk of injury.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Concrete barriers designed to keep cars out of the secure area crumbled as the jet, weighing more than 100 tons, headed straight for a four-lane road.
    — Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • And over the years, this utopian town, which at the beginning looked great, has completely crumbled into a world of recluses and hoarders.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of crumbled
Verb
  • With peace efforts stalled, Russia has intensified its attacks on Kyiv and other cities with relentless bombardments recently stretching into daylight hours, taking advantage of Ukraine’s shortage of air defensive systems.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Zelenskyy links Russian strikes to envoys’ visit The air war between Russia and Ukraine has intensified as troops have struggled to make progress along the 1,250-kilometer (775-mile) front line.
    — Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of intensified
Verb
  • There was another hint — this one visible to more than just a select few people — when Mas and his Spanish team descended on another principality, Monaco, for the race’s start.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Sheehan and other men of Patrol 2 got the call and descended the long ramp, several stories deep into the debris pile, and helped bring Keith back to the top.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of descended
Verb
  • Somehow, the questions surrounding Kiffin have only deepened over time.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Her travels deepened her understanding of her country’s extraordinary diversity – from its food traditions to its flora and fauna.
    — Kalpana Sunder, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of deepened
Verb
  • Order could reshape federal wolf protections Gray wolves were first listed as endangered in 1967 after populations declined because of hunting and other human activities.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to provide further comment on the case to Fortune.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of declined
Verb
  • The two wives soon strike up a tentative friendship as Ye-ji expresses interest in telling Ho-seok’s story — but the group dynamic grows increasingly complicated by their extreme class differences and subtly conflicting desires.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The road to secession is complicated, and as of this summer those favoring a new relationship with Ottawa did not seem to have anything close to a majority.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of complicated

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Cite this Entry

“Worsened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worsened. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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