as in to worsen
to make more severe
a misconceived plan that only exacerbated the city's traffic problem
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of exacerbate
The fires were exacerbated by a severe windstorm that fanned the flames, spurring hardships for firefighters working to contain them.
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Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Drought is also very common in California and contributes to wildfire risk — and the extremes are exacerbated by climate change.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2025
That’s exacerbated by a blue line that has only two good defensemen, leading to strains whenever the top pair is off the ice.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Nearly three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war is accelerating Ukraine’s rapid depopulation, exacerbating a demographic crisis that has been deepening for three decades.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for exacerbate 
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Drought is also very common in California and contributes to wildfire risk — and the extremes are exacerbated by climate change.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2025
That’s exacerbated by a blue line that has only two good defensemen, leading to strains whenever the top pair is off the ice.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Nearly three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war is accelerating Ukraine’s rapid depopulation, exacerbating a demographic crisis that has been deepening for three decades.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for exacerbate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbate
Verb
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Such an act of nature would only worsen the already-disastrous circumstances LA citizens are dealing with right now.Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 16 Jan. 2025
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The possible financial obligations due to the Child Victims Act could worsen a mounting fiscal crisis in Maryland.Gary Collins, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Second, invest in initiatives that deepen your audience’s connection to your brand.Will Fan, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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The fires — expected to be among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history — have deepened a crisis in the state’s home insurance market that was already reeling before the devastation came.Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Re-freezing of water on roads from recent snow may create hazardous driving conditions overnight in some areas, and freezing fog may aggravate those already deteriorating conditions.Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Jan. 2025
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Wildfire smoke can aggravate heart problems as well.Emily Mullin, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Big Ten-SEC rivalry is about to intensify as the external factors dictating both conferences’ strategies change, and the Big Ten perhaps is in a better position to succeed than at any time in the last 50 years.Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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Banks are on a winning streak, one that’s poised to intensify as President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office.Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Eventually, things get complicated when Lainy falls for her dream man Josh (Will Forte) and gets caught up in her growing lie.Angel Saunders, People.com, 8 Jan. 2025
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Mixing business and politics can be complicated, as Loeffler soon found out.Dan Alexander, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near exacerbate
Cite this Entry
“Exacerbate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbate. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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