as in to worsen
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Recent Examples of exacerbate
The Saudi Foreign Ministry also warned in a statement that the strikes were exacerbating tensions in the region.
—
Sarah Dean, NBC news, 12 June 2026
Overcrowded plants and a lack of natural predators can exacerbate an aphid problem, as well.
—Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Although the Federal Reserve trimmed interest rates in 2024 and 2025, the cost of borrowing remains elevated as concerns over inflation grow, exacerbated by oil price spikes and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
—John W. Diamond, Fortune, 12 June 2026
These housing communities were largely underfunded, poorly maintained and often exacerbated issues of racial and economic segregation in American cities.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Sarah Dean, NBC news, 12 June 2026
Overcrowded plants and a lack of natural predators can exacerbate an aphid problem, as well.
—Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
Although the Federal Reserve trimmed interest rates in 2024 and 2025, the cost of borrowing remains elevated as concerns over inflation grow, exacerbated by oil price spikes and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
—John W. Diamond, Fortune, 12 June 2026
These housing communities were largely underfunded, poorly maintained and often exacerbated issues of racial and economic segregation in American cities.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
-
Ongoing construction worsened the situation, but shortly after the interchange, traffic eased.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
China’s economic imbalance worsened in May as retail sales fell at the fastest pace in years, while industrial output accelerated, new data showed.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Cyber expertise cannot deepen when accountability is unclear, workloads are unmanaged and wellbeing is neglected.—
Harpreet Sidhu,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
-
Just to the west, sunset occurs as the partial eclipse deepens.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
He was removed from last Sunday’s game against the Mets after aggravating his hamstring running out a single.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Finding timely health care has been hard, aggravated by a lack of transportation.—
Elizabeth Cooney,
STAT,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, the pace of technological change is accelerating, and global competition is intensifying.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
-
As supporters continued singing, waving flags and celebrating into the evening, anticipation for the match only intensified.—
J.M. Banks
June 15,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The Healys go through the everyday motions until Frankie complicates her relationship with Jo (Mickey Hanano Skinner) by catching the eye of handsome new boy Phoenix (Mario Houle).—
Charles Lewis III,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
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Also complicating the issue is that the FAA does not have a dedicated system that can detect drones without interfering with commercial aircraft.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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