as in aggravated
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 exacerbated
Plus, mental illnesses can be triggered and exacerbated by life circumstances.
—
Aneri Pattani, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
More recently, a growing domestic gas shortage — exacerbated by the halt in new drilling and worsened by the Iran war — has revived demand for Colombia’s own coal.
—Fabiano Maisonnave, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Stress and exhaustion can make symptoms worse, according to ASHA and the Cleveland Clinic, and can be exacerbated by vocal stress, such as speaking over a crowd in a noisy place or over the phone.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The trend has exacerbated China’s deflation problem and weighed on the economy as prices decline and consumption weakens.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
The blockade has exacerbated a long-simmering economic and humanitarian crisis for Cuba’s 11 million people.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
To highlight class differences, Ashley experiences a medical emergency further exacerbated by not having health insurance and facing an extended wait time, the latter of which was drawn from real events, as Lee once spent over 10 hours in the ER with his wife.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 19 Apr. 2026
The problem is exacerbated because retail chocolate prices are still high, so consumer demand is low, and the industry has too much manufacturing capacity, creating an oversupply.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Here, that conundrum is exacerbated rather than solved.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Aneri Pattani, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
More recently, a growing domestic gas shortage — exacerbated by the halt in new drilling and worsened by the Iran war — has revived demand for Colombia’s own coal.
—Fabiano Maisonnave, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Stress and exhaustion can make symptoms worse, according to ASHA and the Cleveland Clinic, and can be exacerbated by vocal stress, such as speaking over a crowd in a noisy place or over the phone.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The trend has exacerbated China’s deflation problem and weighed on the economy as prices decline and consumption weakens.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
The blockade has exacerbated a long-simmering economic and humanitarian crisis for Cuba’s 11 million people.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
To highlight class differences, Ashley experiences a medical emergency further exacerbated by not having health insurance and facing an extended wait time, the latter of which was drawn from real events, as Lee once spent over 10 hours in the ER with his wife.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 19 Apr. 2026
The problem is exacerbated because retail chocolate prices are still high, so consumer demand is low, and the industry has too much manufacturing capacity, creating an oversupply.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Here, that conundrum is exacerbated rather than solved.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbated
Verb
-
The never-give-an-inch tenacity of the Wolves has aggravated and distracted what was the NBA’s best offense in the regular season.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In a Tuesday update, police announced that Jeffrey Alonzo Keitt, 68, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with two counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For Kennedy, being part of the series has only deepened her confidence.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
-
His work deepened and developed under the responsiveness of the academy and a larger and not-yet-balkanized reading public.—
Nick Laird,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The behavior of a suspect in the murders of two University of South Florida students from Bangladesh worsened over time from marijuana use, family members told deputies after his arrest three years ago for punching his brother in the face and kicking his mother in the back.—
Mike Schneider,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Higher debt and interest rates have worsened the country’s budget outlook.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The outraged reactions only intensified, including claims that teams would be reticent to do business with the Ravens in the future.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Already ongoing for days ahead of the visit, discussions about handling security intensified after a heavily armed man sprinted through security and got yards away from the banquet hall crowded with about 2,000 journalists, federal officials and celebrities before he was tackled to the ground.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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 injury to Polanco has complicated the Mets’ plan to replace longtime first baseman Pete Alonso, who left in the offseason for a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbated. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
