1
as in to complex
to make complex or difficult
the need to go to both a PTA conference and condo board meeting really complicates tonight's schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in complicated
having many parts or aspects that are usually interrelated
the kind of complicate machinery that is used in the field of robotics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complicate
Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 2025
The latter can be particularly important in patients with diabetes who often have sensory issues that complicate wound healing.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2025
Paul Avey, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
Since the Trump administration took office, environmental activists have feared that certain existing standards could be rolled back and further complicate efforts to clean up American water supplies.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complicate
Verb
Suwayda residents worry that internal Druze differences are complicating the community’s chances of settling Druze relations with broader Syrian society.
—Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 2025
The latter can be particularly important in patients with diabetes who often have sensory issues that complicate wound healing.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2025
Adjective
There are extensive drawbacks to using nuclear weapons, including their very destructiveness—which could undermine larger objectives or complicate battlefield operations—and the international backlash that would follow.
—Paul Avey, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
Since the Trump administration took office, environmental activists have feared that certain existing standards could be rolled back and further complicate efforts to clean up American water supplies.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicate
Verb
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In that film, Cazale is visibly sick, but that only deepens his performance as the sad fool in a macho band of brothers.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
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As Meech and Terry confront new enemies and deal with the consequences of their time in Mexico, the tension between them deepens, testing a bond that once felt unbreakable.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Since then, however, there have been new revelations in their complicated family dynamics.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
3 June 2025
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But every one of those steps was much more complicated for abelian surfaces.—
Joseph Howlett,
Quanta Magazine,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during recent global disruptions have highlighted the fragility of our food systems and have intensified competition while simultaneously opening new markets.—
Persa Sakellaridi,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2025
Verb
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As the disease worsens, these sores often develop umbilication, a small dent in the skin that resembles a belly button.—
Francisco J. Rivera Rosario,
Health,
7 June 2025
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Empty office spaces, slumping rents, sky-high office vacancies, and a meltdown in real estate values have coalesced into a worsening commercial property market in the Bay Area.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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The intricate scrollwork along the bottom gives it the nouveau feel, but the bow at the top reads modern.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
7 June 2025
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Meanwhile, back on Earth, their predicament involved intricate planning and ‒ when President Donald Trump and the world's richest man Elon Musk chimed in ‒ no small amount of finger-pointing.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The following program will contain graphic stupidity, as four friends compete to embarrass one another – only this time in Lithuania.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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Races are sometimes won by runners making a move from the back of the pack, and L.A. could still find its stride, show some pride, and avoid embarrassing itself.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
Verb
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The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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The intense confrontation both in the South Korean Parliament and among the public over Yoon's fateful act has aggravated the country's political polarization and shaken South Koreans' confidence in their democracy.—
Se Eun Gong,
NPR,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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But compelling as the narrative may be at first blush, the realities on the ground—and in the supply chain—paint a far more complex picture.—
Tim Bajarin,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Musk’s post threw another hurdle in front of Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s already complex task to pass a bill in time for Trump to achieve his goal of signing it by July 4.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Complicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicate. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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