1
as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deepens
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 worsens
The incompetence at every level worsens and only two incompetents have been removed.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Charlotte Water has asked customers to cut usage by about 3% to 5% to help protect the region’s supply and avoid stricter measures if the drought worsens.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
The funding is aimed at supporting a three-pronged plan put forward by a South End, Roxbury, and Newmarket community working group in February that focuses on getting addicts off the streets, out of jail, and into recovery to avoid the chaos and crowding that worsens there each summer.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … STREETS OVERTAKEN — Waterfront overrun by massive crowd as viral takeover pattern worsens.
—FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
And year after year, the debt trajectory worsens, imposing a growing burden on the vibrancy of the private sector.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Strong cleaners can leave residue that actually worsens allergy symptoms.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
Yet city officials estimate that more than 5,000 properties sit empty most of the year, which some advocates argue worsens the city’s housing shortage and affordability crisis.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Abuse – both verbal and physical – often worsens in pregnancy, according to infant and maternal health nonprofit March of Dimes.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Charlotte Water has asked customers to cut usage by about 3% to 5% to help protect the region’s supply and avoid stricter measures if the drought worsens.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
The funding is aimed at supporting a three-pronged plan put forward by a South End, Roxbury, and Newmarket community working group in February that focuses on getting addicts off the streets, out of jail, and into recovery to avoid the chaos and crowding that worsens there each summer.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … STREETS OVERTAKEN — Waterfront overrun by massive crowd as viral takeover pattern worsens.
—FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
And year after year, the debt trajectory worsens, imposing a growing burden on the vibrancy of the private sector.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
Strong cleaners can leave residue that actually worsens allergy symptoms.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
Yet city officials estimate that more than 5,000 properties sit empty most of the year, which some advocates argue worsens the city’s housing shortage and affordability crisis.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Abuse – both verbal and physical – often worsens in pregnancy, according to infant and maternal health nonprofit March of Dimes.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsens
Verb
-
Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Corporate interests hurt land-lease residents As Central Florida’s housing crisis deepens, a quieter emergency is unfolding in land-lease communities all across the Orlando area.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
After the three are released, their relationship deepens amid the challenges of rejoining society on the outside.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sloan allows that the next big test for local sports arrives as the 2026 FIFA World Cup descends upon North American for a 39-day residency.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In the legend, Orpheus descends into the underworld in an attempt to rescue his lover, Eurydice.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So a familiar roster with a familiar coaching staff slogging through a nightmarish first month only intensifies the scrutiny.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Drought intensifies after record-dry start to 2026 A dearth of rain and snow in the first three months of 2026 has helped stoke this spring’s drought.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
First, Detroit has centers ahead of him in Larkin, Copp and potentially Kasper next season, with Nate Danielson on the way as well, which either complicates Compher’s path to high-lineup playing time or blocks one of the young players.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But the ongoing fracturing of American politics, and especially the capricious and authoritarian-leaning tendencies of the current administration, complicates everything.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Bears are looking for tax breaks and incentives, but all that will do the Bears no good if part of their fan support declines.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The lottery will also assign waitlist positions to the remaining students in tier 2 and below if a student declines the funding.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mercury aggravates Jupiter, intensifying your vulnerability in creative or romantic situations.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Flood conditions in Northern Lower Michigan have become increasingly dire in recent days, as heavy rainfall aggravates the winter snowmelt in the region.—
Terrance Friday,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worsens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worsens. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
