complicate 1 of 2

1
2
as in to deepen
to make more severe asthma that has recently been complicated by a bout of bronchitis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

complicate

2 of 2

adjective

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 complicate
Verb
But losing Bohm at the same time complicates things, and the team called Otto Kemp up in a corresponding move. Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 Launching the new Israeli assault could complicate ceasefire efforts to end the nearly two-year war. USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Certainly tariffs are adding to economic uncertainty and complicate decision-making for the Federal Reserve. Simon Moore, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 Now, sometimes the people or circumstances around us complicate that endeavor. R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for complicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicate
Verb
  • For Josie Ferreira, a New Yorker attending her third cookout, the event is a rare chance to gather across boroughs and deepen bonds.
    Essence, Essence, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Esmeralda seems clearly intended as an instant fan favorite, a go-to source of big, broad laughs who somehow deepens with every new quirk.
    Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This narrative has taken center stage over a far more complicated and interesting reality.
    Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • With the success of TV shows like Hacks and The White Lotus, which explore the beautifully complicated, often messy inner lives of women who don’t fit the ingenue mold, perhaps more production companies will take chances on similar shows.
    Sam Reed, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The interview came as federal investigators intensified their search for Kirk's killer.
    Doc Louallen, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Apple didn’t explain its reasoning behind the decision, but the market for satellite-to-phone service is intensifying.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Anger has been brewing in the Himalayan nation for years about the country’s worsening youth unemployment and lack of economic opportunities, exacerbated by what many view as a growing disparity between the country’s elite and regular people.
    Sugam Pokharel, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Pink Light takes the inspiring sports drama genre, where athletes have to overcome obstacles in their sport and personal lives, in a new direction as Browne tackles the worsening debate around trans athletes in the media and political spaces.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • When my father showed the then-curator of the Musée d’Horlogerie the enamels in our collection, she was blown away by the exquisite quality and intricate details of our enamels and jeweled pieces.
    Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • This image depicts intricate frost formations on the frozen surface of Lake Harriet during an Arctic Blast in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 20, 2025.
    Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • We wouldn’t be embarrassed by it, nor would the audience.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
  • What People Are Saying Maritime analysts have weighed in on the nature reserve declaration, with some linking it to the August 11 collision that embarrassed Beijing.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But the attacker re-aggravated his hamstring at the club’s training hub in Rush Green.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • What is required is a pullback - on huge deficits, on aggravating international and internal relationships, and on the undermining of historical foundations of the United States.
    John S. Tobey, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This goes up to six to eight weeks when the fracture is more complex.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • In order to embolden and support his organization, bin Laden often videotaped himself with messages aimed at his target audience, established training centers in Afghanistan, had an expansive funding network that included wealthy individuals, couriers, mosques and other complex ways to raise funds.
    Richard Frankel, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Complicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicate. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on complicate

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!