exacerbates

verb

present tense third-person singular of exacerbate
as in deepens
to make more severe a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem

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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 exacerbates And the backwards focus exacerbates the lag in responding to those changes, with potentially serious macroeconomic consequences. — George Calhoun, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 As climate change exacerbates the heat, experts say the negative effects of sizzling classrooms are here to stay, especially in school districts that may not have the resources to combat hotter weather. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026 Economic hardship for working families and young people exacerbates their frustration and disenfranchisement, while a tepid Democratic leadership response adds to anti-establishment sentiment. — Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 The fact that the United States often has bases in or near these countries exacerbates the dynamic. — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026 But Schleien considers official pietism—the theocratic strictures, the holy geographies, and Iron Age notions of vengeance—a threat in its own right, and one that exacerbates various security crises. — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 Unfortunately, there is no shortage of wildfires to keep an eye on across the world as climate change exacerbates traditional wildfire seasons. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026 The moon and Mars’ clash exacerbates irritation this morning. — Usa Today, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026 Avoiding represented talent or hindering communication only exacerbates the issue. — Chris Ryan, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbates
  1. deepens
  2. aggravates
  3. complicates
  4. worsens
  5. intensifies
Verb
  • As war fatigue deepens, politicians are increasingly exploiting anti-refugee sentiment for political gain.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The United States removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, lifting what Damascus says was the last major impediment to investing in the country as Washington deepens ties to the new Syrian government.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepens
Verb
  • Social pressures intensify as the Aries moon aggravates Mars.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Regardless, the lure of short-form cricket aggravates the Test situation.
    — Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggravates
Verb
  • Returning the silent treatment, meanwhile, only complicates a problem already caused by a lack of communication.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The latest chapter of the Buss family drama only further complicates this pending sale.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of complicates
Verb
  • Therefore, analysts note that if extreme weather worsens water and power scarcity, the impact could ripple through the entire semiconductor supply chain.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Ford said in an interview published Monday that Canada should be prepared to cut off electricity exports to the United States if the trade war worsens, putting a potentially powerful weapon on the table.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsens
Verb
  • Over the coming years, NASA’s VIPER rover, the European Space Agency’s PROSPECT drilling package, and the Japan-India LUPEX rover are expected to arrive at the moon’s south pole, as the race to find water sources intensifies.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The challenge of proximity becomes more serious when a storm rapidly intensifies.
    — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensifies

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exacerbated
exacerbates
exacerbating
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Cite this Entry

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

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