How to Use complicate in a Sentence

complicate

1 of 2 verb
  • Changing jobs now would complicate her life.
  • What was complicated was that the star dogs didn’t talk to the others.
    Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2023
  • But fieldwork has been complicated by the fact the river sits in the middle of a war zone.
    Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 9 June 2023
  • Every move was complicated by the fact that Yazan could not walk.
    Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024
  • Out There Screaming aims to counter and complicate that lineage.
    Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2024
  • Float your boat Tackle doesn’t need to be complicated in the mountains.
    Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Roots, rocks, and uneven ground can all complicate your rest in a tent, no matter how plush your sleeping pad.
    Ryan Wichelns, Popular Mechanics, 16 June 2023
  • The presence of hostages in Gaza complicates Israel’s response.
    Tia Goldenberg and Wafaa Shurafa, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2023
  • Deciding on what type of lens is best for you can be complicated.
    Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
  • This could be very painful, complicate the matter, and lead to infection.
    Stacey Colino, Parents, 20 Sep. 2023
  • Patent disputes can be complicated, but the one between the CDC and Gilead is straightforward.
    The Editorial Board, wsj.com, 10 May 2023
  • The company told Duckworth the work to fix the anti-ice issue is complicated.
    Alex Sundby, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024
  • The flames were pushed by hurricane-force winds, the escape complicated by Lahaina’s one-road-in-and-out design.
    Joshua Partlow, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2023
  • But Haley's rise in the polls could also complicate whether Trump or DeSantis can win the full support of these voters.
    Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023
  • Instead, think of movements that involve anything to get your heart pumping; there is no need to complicate things.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 20 Feb. 2024
  • What could complicate that, though, is a low-pressure system developing in the Great Plains.
    David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2024
  • The count is complicated by the fact that many militants are believed to have been killed underground in tunnels.
    Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
  • Life is complicated enough—taking care of yourself shouldn’t be.
    Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2023
  • Peter Van Sant: And does that, Steven, complicate your preparation?
    Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 9 Dec. 2023
  • The mild fissure with the Black Caucus on a lone issue represents a turning point for Moore, as the state’s financial pressures complicate his to-do list.
    Erin Cox, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2024
  • That could make the I-10 blaze complicating LA traffic this week the third fire in the area involving leftover hand sanitizer.
    WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023
  • Over the past year, two new angles have further complicated this matter for children.
    Michelle Icard, CNN, 8 May 2023
  • The new research might seem like good news, but the full picture is complicated: The amount of plastic in the ocean is still increasing by about 4 percent every year, according to the study.
    Delger Erdenesanaa, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2023
  • Adding to the anxiety is the fact that bad blood toward Washington over its role in the Gaza conflict could complicate other diplomatic goals for the United States, at least in the near term.
    Michael Crowley, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023
  • And to complicate their success, Drake and Brenner have to deal with an increasingly unhinged boss, played by Andy Garcia.
    Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2023
  • Prepare Simple and Mindful Meals Meals don't need to be complicated.
    Redbook, 17 Aug. 2023
  • All of this can be complicated and feel overwhelming because one wrong move could affect your credit score for years.
    Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
  • That’s because, at the time, the province defaulted legal parentage to the person who gave birth to the child, so becoming the legal parents could be complicated if the child was born there.
    Hazlitt, 30 Aug. 2023
  • That has the potential to complicate the funding picture for Baltimore.
    Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
  • Sourcing weapons from Iran could complicate relations for the Sudanese military with the United States, which is leading a push for negotiations between the warring parties.
    Reuters, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
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complicate

2 of 2 adjective
  • Bring extra masks in case this happens, since a wet mask can be less effective and complicate breathing, according to the CDC.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Apr. 2021
  • The Belarusian government’s close ties with Moscow complicate Belarusian volunteers’ efforts to join the fight in Ukraine.
    Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2023
  • Spelling errors and the language barrier complicate matters too.
    Adam K. Raymond, Daily Intelligencer, 20 June 2018
  • The promenade will eliminate multiple bus stops on Routes 3 and 120, complicate transfers to other bus routes and possibly cause delays by requiring buses to make more turns.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2023
  • But the many other benefits of forests further complicate assessments, says biogeochemist William Schlesinger, professor emeritus at Duke University.
    BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2022
  • These revelations confirm some of the science community’s deepest concerns — and further complicate efforts to understand DDT’s toxic and insidious legacy in California.
    Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023
  • Those all significantly complicate hitting them with interceptor missiles.
    Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023
  • This year, more than a few selections also incorporate fantastical interludes — from brief hallucinations to alternative worlds — that productively complicate and on occasion destabilize their realism.
    Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023
  • Bring extra masks in case this happens, since a wet mask can be less effective and complicate breathing, according to the CDC.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Apr. 2021
  • The Belarusian government’s close ties with Moscow complicate Belarusian volunteers’ efforts to join the fight in Ukraine.
    Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2023
  • Spelling errors and the language barrier complicate matters too.
    Adam K. Raymond, Daily Intelligencer, 20 June 2018
  • The promenade will eliminate multiple bus stops on Routes 3 and 120, complicate transfers to other bus routes and possibly cause delays by requiring buses to make more turns.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2023
  • But the many other benefits of forests further complicate assessments, says biogeochemist William Schlesinger, professor emeritus at Duke University.
    BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2022
  • These revelations confirm some of the science community’s deepest concerns — and further complicate efforts to understand DDT’s toxic and insidious legacy in California.
    Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2023
  • Those all significantly complicate hitting them with interceptor missiles.
    Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023
  • This year, more than a few selections also incorporate fantastical interludes — from brief hallucinations to alternative worlds — that productively complicate and on occasion destabilize their realism.
    Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'complicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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