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

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 exacerbates 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 With no single diagnostic test to confirm PMOS, symptoms often overlap with other endocrine disorders, and this exacerbates the toll on Black and Latina women. — Anissa Durham, STAT, 28 July 2026 Artificial landscape exacerbates fires Stefan Doerr, a professor of wildland fire science at Swansea University, said climate change and poor landscape management are contributing to the increasing intensity of the fires. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 27 July 2026 In a time of much antisemitism, Mamdani’s rhetoric only exacerbates the situation. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026 Insoles grant just that extra bit of support and comfort, sparing your feet from bearing the brunt of impact (which only exacerbates plantar fasciitis). — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 22 July 2026 Meteorologists attribute the deluge in Chile to the return of El Nino, a powerful, naturally occurring phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that drives temperatures higher and exacerbates extreme weather events. — ABC News, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exacerbates
  1. deepens
  2. aggravates
  3. complicates
  4. worsens
  5. intensifies
Verb
  • World oil demand is set to fall further than previously expected this year, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday, as the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz deepens.
    — Sean Conlon,Hugh Leask,Lee Ying Shan,Sarah Min, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • February 19 – March 20 Trust deepens when care comes with clear terms.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepens
Verb
  • But when Dusty takes a tumble and aggravates his old wrist injury, that puts him out of the running.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
  • The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.
    — Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of aggravates
Verb
  • Gere acknowledged that his family name inevitably complicates perceptions of his success.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • This unfortunate incident significantly complicates FC Barcelona's squad planning.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of complicates
Verb
  • Those with lupus need to avoid the sun, while some with psoriasis get relief from it; storms can trigger migraines and joint pain; hot weather worsens postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
    — Lorraine Boissoneault, STAT, 12 Aug. 2026
  • When the outlook for a company’s fundamentals worsens, investors often respond by trading the stock down.
    — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsens
Verb
  • This move intensifies existing rivalries, notably with the Boston Celtics following the Jaylen Brown trade.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The president addressed a smaller, heavily secured gathering Friday as his administration intensifies its legal and rhetorical attacks on journalists.
    — Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 24 July 2026
Definition of intensifies

Browse Nearby Words

exacerbated
exacerbates
exacerbating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exacerbates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exacerbates. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on exacerbates

Nglish: Translation of exacerbates for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All