1
as in difficulty
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult
the food allergies of the guests were just another complication for the couple trying to plan their wedding reception
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
complications set in after the surgery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in complexity
the state or quality of having many interrelated parts or aspects
a problem of such irreducible complication as to defy any easy solution
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complication
One of the biggest concerns is that someone with an incidental finding may then have follow-up computed tomography scans, as well as ionizing radiation and biopsy complications, searching for something that never would have caused symptoms.
—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Inside is like a mini-urgent care facility, equipped to treat everything from minor injuries to serious complications.
—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Research suggests prolonged exposure to extreme heat during pregnancy may increase the risk of certain complications.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
As such, Volvo’s dealer network is an obvious fallback to handle Polestar service or even helping to sell the remaining inventory, but even that is fraught with complications.
—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for complication
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
Inside is like a mini-urgent care facility, equipped to treat everything from minor injuries to serious complications.
—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Research suggests prolonged exposure to extreme heat during pregnancy may increase the risk of certain complications.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
As such, Volvo’s dealer network is an obvious fallback to handle Polestar service or even helping to sell the remaining inventory, but even that is fraught with complications.
—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for complication
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complication
Noun
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This game preserves the difficulty of coming up with an elaborate, consistent false narrative on the spot, and the challenge of adapting that narrative on the fly when other players present convincing (and sometimes fake) counter-evidence.
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Even if polls point to a majority, a potential coalition spanning left, right, center and Arab parties would face real difficulty forming a government – and keeping it together.
Noun
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The shipment includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care, including supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention and treatment, according to the United Nations.
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The rabies vaccine, if administered immediately after exposure, is nearly 100% successful at preventing the disease, according to the World Health Organization.
Noun
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Three extraordinary new books, published this year, shed light on the brilliance and complexity of Morrison’s life and work, and place her as an American eminence, a visionary who saw fiction as a means through which to recast her country’s story.
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The story explores family trauma, friendship, healing and the complexities of navigating life as a Black woman.
Noun
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The women wanted physicians who were disease preventers, and doctors who were attentive to the difficulties wrought by menopause, which have been increasingly found to leave women vulnerable to other ailments.
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Imaging this week showed Brown has a stress reaction in his neck, which was in the same spot as his 2024 ailment that ultimately had been diagnosed as an osteoma (benign bone tumor).
Noun
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If anyone shows signs of heat illness, promptly move them to a cool, shaded area.
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Despite some athletes reporting illness afterward, no clear link to the water was confirmed, and the century-long psychological barrier to bathing in the Seine was finally broken.
Noun
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Air conditioning will be keeping millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the holiday weekend as a heat dome brings dangerous conditions to millions.
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The statute would ban covered officers from wearing masks or shielding their identities while on duty and interacting with the public, with exceptions including medical masks, religious coverings, certain tactical equipment and hazardous conditions.
Noun
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Large protests are expected and, in a country where migration has become an easy target for people suffering from a cascade of social and economic ills, the gatherings risk becoming combustible.
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But that also eradicates a crucial option - to mount a show trial and scapegoat him for all the ills of his rule, thus absolving others.
Noun
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Her 12-year-old son, Whitman, has autism and a neurological disorder called apraxia, in which the brain struggles to tell muscles how to move to form words or perform other motor skills.
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The platform also provides a framework for treating brain disorders using real-time feedback from the nervous system itself, Wang adds.
Cite this Entry
“Complication.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complication. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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