as in worsening
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exacerbating
Voters also believe that tariffs are exacerbating the situation, but few Republicans are denouncing them or calling for policy changes.
—
Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Amid the shutdown, federal employees, including air traffic controllers, are not being paid for their work, exacerbating existing staffing shortages.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
If Beijing now doubles down on subsidizing both cutting-edge and traditional industries, the result could be an even greater glut of Chinese products globally, exacerbating trade frictions.
—Shaoyu Yuan, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2025
Young voters are united in disappointment Many young Americans feel a collective sense of disillusionment in the political system, and respondents told NPR that their financial struggles are exacerbating that pain.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
Bank lobbyists say these terminals being closed to penny deposits is exacerbating the penny shortage, because parts of the country that may have some surplus pennies are unable to get those pennies to parts of country with shortages.
—Ken Sweet, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
Hence, researchers from around the globe are rushing to curb this exacerbating environmental problem by turning plastic into valuable products.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
Tariffs may be exacerbating that pain.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
The American whiskey industry is on the rocks, with anti-tariff backlash hurting exports and exacerbating the strains of a years-long slump in domestic demand.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbating
Verb
-
The next year, there was a nearly 10 percent rise in homelessness in the city, worsening an already difficult situation.—
-
Hurricane Milton also opened Milton Pass, slicing Stump Pass Beach State Park in half and destabilizing nearby barrier islands, which could lead to worsening beach erosion.—
Verb
-
But there were bright spots, too, including awe-inspiring concerts; trips to different cities and countries; and deepening friendships over card games, meals and dancing until the wee hours.—
-
Anjula Acharia is deepening her partnership with Warner Music Group, launching a new management entity under the 5 Junction umbrella less than a year after establishing the label.—
Verb
-
Elhawary acknowledged the billionaire tax proposal is a complicating factor in discussions about taxes, which is already a politically fraught issue.—
-
Partnerships between public and private entities that were forged during the early days continue to support the event, but as with any public gathering, challenges from the outside were complicating their plans.—
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbating. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share