exacerbated

verb

past tense of exacerbate
as in aggravated
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 exacerbated Accenture's research reveals leaders are committed to AI for growth but feel less prepared for disruption, exacerbated by macroeconomic volatility and pragmatic consumer spending. — Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Insisting on tax cuts and voting for politicians who will, of course, advocate them, has exacerbated the problem. — Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Crucial issues in women’s health risked being ignored or exacerbated. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 Other businesses along the Colorado River and near the Arizona-Utah border have suffered as well amid a Western drought exacerbated by climate change. — Swasti Singhai, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 Iran’s economy was already under tremendous strain before the war, and the blockade has exacerbated that strain. — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026 His aversion towards music became exacerbated around the releases for his debut album Old Romance in 2020 and The More The Better in 2023. — Ngozi Nwanji, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2026 Shortstop Jeremy Peña’s puzzling decision not to attempt a throw home as the go-ahead run scored only exacerbated matters. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 America’s debt burden is rising faster than estimates just a few years ago, exacerbated by persistent deficits and soaring interest payments. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbated
  1. aggravated
  2. deepened
  3. worsened
  4. intensified
  5. complicated
Verb
  • American voters are already frustrated with the high cost of living which has been aggravated by the war in Iran.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Kirk aggravated a calf injury on the first day of training camp and hasn’t practiced since.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • The intervention of Allied troops on the White Russian side in the Russian Civil War deepened Bolshevik paranoia, and Bolshevik leaders concluded that hostile powers would always seek to destroy Russia by cultivating internal enemies.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Israel and Greece have deepened defense ties in the last decade.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepened
Verb
  • Rasonque cut the risk of death by 60%, and patients went longer before their disease progressed and before pain and quality of life worsened.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities in Indonesia, meanwhile, are racing to control wildfires that have dramatically worsened air-quality levels even before fire season typically peaks.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsened
Verb
  • Earlier in the week, Prokudin said that Russia has intensified attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which is about 70% under Russian control.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The legal challenge intensified an unusually public dispute over how AI can be used in warfare and mass surveillance.
    — Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensified
Verb
  • The controversy was complicated by the fact that some prominent rabbis had actually met with Galliano before the exhibition was announced and had come away believing that his repentance was sincere, as JTA reported earlier this month.
    — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
  • College endowments can be complicated, with the money held across hundreds or even thousands of separate funds.
    — Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of complicated

Browse Nearby Words

exacerbate
exacerbated
exacerbates
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Cite this Entry

“Exacerbated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbated. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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