as in to complicate
to make complex or difficult
my proposal would simplify the process, whereas yours would needlessly complexify it
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Recent Examples of complexify
Ju-yeong’s villainous backstory and present Like most of the characters in Good Boy, villain Ju-yeong doesn’t get a backstory that complexifies his actions.
—
Kayti Burt, Time, 21 July 2025
Blakely’s performance is indicative of The Private Life’s problems — the attempt to pastiche and complexify the popular understanding of this literary relationship ends up re-creating its most irritating qualities.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
But like Nichole says, there have been new complexifying factors in the meantime.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 31 July 2023
Rather than expand our singular viewpoint, calcified by confirmation and desirability biases, to a dualistic battle royale that may only further harden our stance, Grant suggests the solution is to explore other angles and viewpoints beyond our purview—to complexify.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 13 June 2021
In between the set pieces and special effects, those shows forgot about enriching and complexifying their themes.
—Wired Staff, Wired, 20 Dec. 2019
What’s the point of complexifying a straightforward election?
—Adam Rogers, WIRED, 6 June 2018
Kayti Burt, Time, 21 July 2025
Blakely’s performance is indicative of The Private Life’s problems — the attempt to pastiche and complexify the popular understanding of this literary relationship ends up re-creating its most irritating qualities.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
But like Nichole says, there have been new complexifying factors in the meantime.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 31 July 2023
Rather than expand our singular viewpoint, calcified by confirmation and desirability biases, to a dualistic battle royale that may only further harden our stance, Grant suggests the solution is to explore other angles and viewpoints beyond our purview—to complexify.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 13 June 2021
In between the set pieces and special effects, those shows forgot about enriching and complexifying their themes.
—Wired Staff, Wired, 20 Dec. 2019
What’s the point of complexifying a straightforward election?
—Adam Rogers, WIRED, 6 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complexify
Verb
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At 5,300 years old, any of those explanations complicates the conventional picture of how sophisticated Predynastic Egyptian material science actually was.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
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Her recovery was complicated by the routine obstacles that govern all aspects of life at Dilley.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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French wine and spirits exports have slipped from being traditionally France’s second-largest export sector to third, behind aerospace and cosmetics, as trade tensions intensified.—
Reuters 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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This causes the outer layers of the star to expand and cool, evolving into a red giant, while the interior of the core heats up, intensifying the rate of fusion within it.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complexify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complexify. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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