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 smoke from the blazes, coupled with fires in neighboring Canada, worsened air quality for millions across the country. — Simmone Shah, Time, 12 Aug. 2026 This decline was possibly made worse by federal immigration enforcement, which district officials believe worsened the annual districtwide decline last year from about 2% — which had been expected — to about 4%. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 The coach has been dealing with glaucoma and kidney disease for a couple of years now, but both conditions worsened over the summer. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2026 However, while his dad was back in his life, his relationship with alcohol worsened. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The intense heat has dried out vegetation and worsened drought conditions in parts of France, increasing the risk of wildfires, officials said. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 As the years passed, Kaverman, 36, said her symptoms gradually worsened. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 As blizzard conditions increasingly worsened, the search and rescue team laid the bodies together and covered them with a tarp, marking the spot with GPS coordinates and long poles used to probe for people buried under avalanches. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2026 His thumb worsened on Sunday against the Padres, but the swelling has since started to subside. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsened
  1. deteriorated
  2. aggravated
  3. crumbled
  4. intensified
  5. descended
  6. deepened
  7. declined
  8. complicated
Verb
  • Doctors admitted him to the hospital, but his condition only deteriorated.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In the provincial capital Pontianak, schools suspended in-person classes after air quality deteriorated to unhealthy levels and health officials reported a rise in respiratory illnesses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • Since then, his game behind the plate has vacillated between good and bad — an inconsistency aggravated by the presence of Luis Torrens (and his defensive excellence) as his backup.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Samuel’s U-turn comes amid uncertainty about wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who aggravated his right knee’s posterior cruciate ligament in Monday’s second practice of training camp.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Early Wednesday morning, parts of the street near Riley Road and Crescent Drive crumbled and washed away.
    — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In a time yet to be named, when the couple’s love crumbled in the dead of night during a blackout, the planet became populated once more.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumbled
Verb
  • Houthis’ allies The Houthis are backed by Iran, which began increasing its aid to the group in 2014 as the civil war escalated and as its rivalry with Saudi Arabia intensified.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Violence has intensified across several regions as criminal organizations and guerrilla groups have expanded their territorial influence over the past several years.
    — Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensified
Verb
  • But at the end of the year, as immigration officers descended on Minneapolis, that vote became a liability.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • There was a very real chance the bus could continue to slide, but Lara and four other soldiers and airmen rushed to help as the scene descended into chaos.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of descended
Verb
  • At dinnertime, Thune gathered all the Republican senators for a meeting as the standoff deepened at the Capitol.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The threats came amid rampant speculation and scrutiny of the investigation, deepened in part by uncertainty surrounding Wells’ final hours, distrust of law enforcement and the state’s long history of racist violence.
    — Josh Kelety, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepened
Verb
  • Quinn declined, however, to move Coleman earlier in camp when starting center Nick Allegretti went down with a calf injury, opting instead to use Julian Good-Jones and let Coleman focus on left guard.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The case was rejected by the District Attorney’s office in April 2024, and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office declined to press charges.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of declined
Verb
  • Their task is complicated by the loss of Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea over the summer, while Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United and Amadou Onana is sidelined with a long-term knee injury.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • But further advances are complicated because the area is an organized crime risk, which affects investment and insurance policies.
    — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 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 15 Aug. 2026.

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