exacerbating

verb

present participle of exacerbate
as in worsening
to make more severe a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Emergency relief teams in Nepal and China have been battered by heavy rainfall, with new water formations exacerbating the threat of another lethal torrent. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 Climate change is expected to continue exacerbating cases in the years to come, warned Matt Willis, an epidemiologist and former former Marin County public health officer. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The power cuts also affected water pumping stations, exacerbating long-running concerns over access to drinking water in parts of the country. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 The total has more than doubled over the last decade, exacerbating concerns about the country's financial health. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 In a note obtained by CBS News Atlanta, Daley's doctor said the lack of air conditioning is exacerbating his underlying medical condition. — Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 As social isolation and loneliness grow, exacerbating our risk of an early death from all causes, these daily interactions centered around communal spaces are a lifeline. — Kyle Vanelli, STAT, 14 Aug. 2026 This has ultimately led to longer waiting times to dock at the port, further exacerbating shipping delays. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 11 Aug. 2026 Thus the state’s irresponsible fiscal games are exacerbating the chronic financial problems that school systems face, including those in Sacramento and Los Angeles. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbating
  1. worsening
  2. deepening
  3. complicating
Verb
  • Once a rare occurrence, the ominous signal is becoming a more regular event thanks to the worsening climate crisis.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Residents accused the maps of worsening the insurance crisis and tanking property values.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • Brent crude climbed back above $90 a barrel and gasoline stayed over $4 a gallon all month, deepening inflation pressures and sharpening expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again.
    — Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Salesforce ‘s deepening push into artificial intelligence is showing signs of paying off, and that should continue to benefit its stock, according to Goldman Sachs.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepening
Verb
  • The federal government has transferred many detainees to some of the nation’s largest detention facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi, complicating their legal representation and crowding the dockets in those states.
    — Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The remote ranch’s hallmark isolation is now complicating recovery efforts.
    — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of complicating

Browse Nearby Words

exacerbates
exacerbating
exact
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Cite this Entry

“Exacerbating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbating. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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