as in deepens
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Recent Examples of exacerbates
Dehydration also exacerbates the risk.
—
ABC News, 18 June 2026
Heat and moisture accumulate around the leaves, stems, and roots of plants, and supplementing soil with acetate exacerbates the risk of microbial contamination.
—Derek Norman, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
What exacerbates that risk is the pace of AI adoption, combined with lagging governance.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 June 2026
The length exacerbates all the rest of the series' sins, including a lack of emotional depth, gratuitous suffering and violence, long stretches of boring, listless plotting and extraneous characters.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026
The records often fail to count people when heat exacerbates more obvious health problems.
—Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
In the Pacific Northwest, an El Niño summer often exacerbates drought, which is a particular concern this year given the region’s severe snowpack deficit.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Artists can be complicated, selfish people, and substance abuse exacerbates these traits for many of them.
—Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
The course’s only chance at truly defending against low scores is these greens making life difficult, and that only exacerbates Burns’ advantage.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 13 May 2026
ABC News, 18 June 2026
Heat and moisture accumulate around the leaves, stems, and roots of plants, and supplementing soil with acetate exacerbates the risk of microbial contamination.
—Derek Norman, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
What exacerbates that risk is the pace of AI adoption, combined with lagging governance.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 June 2026
The length exacerbates all the rest of the series' sins, including a lack of emotional depth, gratuitous suffering and violence, long stretches of boring, listless plotting and extraneous characters.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026
The records often fail to count people when heat exacerbates more obvious health problems.
—Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
In the Pacific Northwest, an El Niño summer often exacerbates drought, which is a particular concern this year given the region’s severe snowpack deficit.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Artists can be complicated, selfish people, and substance abuse exacerbates these traits for many of them.
—Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
The course’s only chance at truly defending against low scores is these greens making life difficult, and that only exacerbates Burns’ advantage.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbates
Verb
-
This partnership with Banijay Kids & Family deepens that commitment.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
16 June 2026
-
Just to the west, sunset occurs as the partial eclipse deepens.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
13 June 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
Verb
-
War complicates the domestic front, turning any dissent into treason.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
-
This complicates the story that weight-loss marketing is often offering to consumers.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
This worsens the inflammatory response to the initial infection, according to Fleming, who was not involved in the study.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
-
As the economic and social situation worsens, Cubans have organized daily protests in various parts of the island.—
Sarah Moreno
June 5,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Roasting peaches intensifies their flavor, and in this old-school recipe, they're mashed and mixed into a rich custard before churning into a creamy, fruit-forward ice cream.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
-
Still, as the day unfolds, the sun's alignment to Pluto intensifies deeper fears around control, recognition and power.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbates. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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