1
as in difficulty
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult
the food allergies of the guests were just another complication for the couple trying to plan their wedding reception
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
complications set in after the surgery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in complexity
the state or quality of having many interrelated parts or aspects
a problem of such irreducible complication as to defy any easy solution
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of complication
Left untreated, people who get Legionnaires disease can have severe complications and even die.
—
Carly Sauvageau, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
At one point, local officials reported that the animal could not be saved due to safety concerns and transportation complications.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
What Actually Helps Shingles There’s no cure, but antivirals taken within 72 hours of the rash appearing can shorten the infection and reduce the chance of complications.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026
Vaccines lower the risk, and early treatment can shorten the infection and reduce complications.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complication
Carly Sauvageau, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
At one point, local officials reported that the animal could not be saved due to safety concerns and transportation complications.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
What Actually Helps Shingles There’s no cure, but antivirals taken within 72 hours of the rash appearing can shorten the infection and reduce the chance of complications.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026
Vaccines lower the risk, and early treatment can shorten the infection and reduce complications.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complication
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complication
Noun
-
The 18th Street Station has a lot of stairs, so passengers with difficulty using stairs should use the McCormick Place station.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Low-mass stars such as red dwarfs vastly outnumber high-mass stars, a distribution astronomers call the 'initial mass function', but why this should be weighted towards lower-mass stars is uncertain — and certainly not helped by the difficulties in observing their growth.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The proposal would burden doctors with giving parents a highly detailed consent statement to be prepared by boards of medicine and osteopathic medicine, and forbid health authorities to order vaccinations during outbreaks of familiar or new deadly diseases.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Overall, about half of children with the disease are infected during birth, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said, while others caught it from family members.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This, the expert believes, is partly because of the elimination of expensive exhaust treatment systems and the high efficiency of the process, which could offset the engine’s greater technical complexity over time.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The complexity is in balancing divisiveness with input from your team.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Manager Craig Counsell described this hamstring strain as mild, explaining Thielbar said this is a less-severe version of the ailment.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Lee awkwardly slid into home and banged up his quad in the process, a minor ailment that resulted in him being lifted from the game in the eighth inning.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Gauff battled an apparent illness during the Madrid Open, even taking a medical timeout in the Round of 32 over the weekend.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include fatigue, muscle weakness, frequent illness and low mood.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But through it all, Hall discovered football, and his condition wasn't going to keep him from the game that would define his life.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Gold prices are driven by inflation expectations, central bank policy, global economic conditions and investor demand.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And this one guy at this one firm can't solve all of his industry's ills.—
Sam Yellowhorse Kesler,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2026
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Even as professional coders are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about the power of AI coding tools, many end users still see them as a boogeyman to instantly blame for any and all observed ills in the tech industry.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Chief Deputy Medical Examiner Jonathan Lucas concluded that Patton’s death was an accident caused by acute bacterial bronchopneumonia complicated by influenza A, with substance use disorder and the effects of methadone listed as contributing factors.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The event had initially appeared set to resume after the disorder.—
Collin Binkley,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complication.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complication. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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