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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
  • Alyssa Louise Anderson, the driver of the vehicle, has been arrested and booked into the Canyon County Jail on charges of vehicular manslaughter, aggravated DUI, and leaving the scene of an injury accident, according to online court records.
    — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The loss aggravated criticism of quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ lack of protection for him.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Even though it’s often served composed, the ingredients — bacon, tomatoes, egg and blue cheese — are cut (or crumbled) to the same size.
    — Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • An agreement reached in June quickly crumbled, with no sign of diplomatic progress since then.
    — Joseph Krauss, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of crumbled
Verb
  • The alert marked the first time Riyadh had received such a warning since fighting in Yemen intensified in July.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Just days before Ukrainian Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2027 began, Russian air strikes intensified on the city of Kyiv.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 18 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
  • The Pentagon declined to address questions about the accounting discrepancy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Thrive Eternal, the sports properties company run by incoming Lakers owner Joshua Kushner, declined to comment because the NBA has not yet approved the sale.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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