1
as in complicating
to make complex or difficult
there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in diluting
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sophisticating
Logistically accelerating techno-economic interactivity crumbles social order in auto-sophisticating machine runaway.
—
James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sophisticating
Verb
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The response unfolds in a region long threatened by armed groups that have kept a large part of the population on the run and control a major city where Ebola cases have been confirmed, complicating health workers’ catch-up efforts to trace the outbreak.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
-
There is a complicating factor.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The court lifted a ruling that had blocked state Republicans' preferred map as racially discriminatory and for illegally diluting the voting power of Black Alabamians.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
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By launching a version of the Royal Oak to the general public and transforming it into a playful, versatile pop culture object, the brand is taking a risky step toward diluting its own equity.—
Clara Ludmir,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The Tempo didn’t make things easy, cutting the deficit to two points late and later trailing by just three with 31 seconds remaining and possession of the ball.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2026
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The bridge demonstrates a new, lighter approach to low-carbon infrastructure, cutting waste and CO₂ by depositing concrete only where needed.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The funding round came amid intensifying competition from major players like Microsoft and Amazon, as well as a wave of AI-native startups including fellow 2026 Disruptor Perplexity.—
Michelle Castillo,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
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There’s concern that the amount of water needed to cool Stratos facilities could further drain the Great Salt Lake, intensifying exposure to toxic sediments in the rapidly shrinking watershed.—
Mary Jane Gibson,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Engineers and safety experts are solving problems in a new technology that gets us off expensive and polluting fossil fuels.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
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Sunil Bector, an attorney with the Sierra Club, said that heavily polluting facilities will reap overlapping benefits from the assault on the Clean Air Act.—
Mark Olalde,
ProPublica,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Then the human welder has to finish the areas where the robot can’t reach, then pull it out and start loading new parts.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The malevolent Sidious put Maul through the wringer, torturing and manipulating him on his path to becoming a fearsome Sith Lord.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
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Kinematic intelligence began with EPFL researchers motion-capturing humans setting, shoving, tossing, and otherwise manipulating objects.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Over the past two years, the epidemic has left a devastating trail, infecting more than 220,000 individuals, and claiming the lives of over 4,000 people in 19 countries across the continent.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Hantavirus is typically spread from rodents to people, but the particular strain that’s infecting those on the cruise, according to the WHO — the Andes strain — is the only kind that can also be transmitted from person to person.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sophisticating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sophisticating. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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