complicate 1 of 2

Definition of complicatenext
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
The conflict with Iran has not helped the implementation of the peace plan, complicating diplomatic relationships and dominating the attention of international partners. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 28 May 2026 The hyperscaler consulting arms complicate things further, since AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft both compete with and partner alongside the new firms. Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Adjective
Families today are more anchored: two-income households complicate moves, aging demographics keep older homeowners in place, and many are locked into mortgage rates under 4%, unwilling to trade up into costlier loans. Brian Delp, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 The shift would send states scrambling and complicate parents’ efforts to get young children vaccinated ahead of the coming respiratory virus season. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for complicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicate
Verb
  • The morning of June 6, Mellor was back at Boston Logan airport for another trip to Havana, at a time when the United States is trying to tighten economic strings to choke Cuba’s government into change, and the country faces a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
    Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 6 June 2026
  • Nvidia is looking to deepen its ties with South Korea as tech supply chains come into focus given the Iran war, and as the company faces rising regulatory hurdles in selling to the mainland Chinese market.
    Justina Lee,Lisa Kim, CNBC, 5 June 2026
Adjective
  • Wang Xiaogang, co-founder of the Chinese AI software company SenseTime and chairman of ACE Robotics, said his company is collecting a lot of human-centric data from factories, retailing and offices settings that could guide advanced robots to perform complicated functions.
    Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 6 June 2026
  • Be ready to get out the door in seconds, thanks to the effortless slip-on design, no complicated fastenings necessary.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • As climate pressures intensify, biodiversity shrinks and consumers demand more transparency, the push to preserve older grain varieties and livestock breeds is reshaping what shows up in grocery aisles and on restaurant menus.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
  • Climate models predict a continued, long-term decline of snowpack as the effects of climate change intensify.
    Evan Bush, NBC news, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • Several years ago, during a medical emergency of my own, I had already been evaluated by a physician and advised to seek emergency care if my symptoms worsened.
    Iyesatta Massaquoi Emeli, STAT, 2 June 2026
  • This is every summer, right now, for the 200,000 people who live here — a public health emergency that is worsening with the global climate crisis and exacerbated even further by an onslaught of irresponsible development.
    Daniela Flores, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Adjective
  • The bar is 3,000 square feet in all, with muted pink pillows, intricate floral light fixtures and gold accents.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
  • Notably, Tutt made significant contributions in the design of the intricate parachute system used on NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft mission.
    Pat Maio, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.
    Andrew Rice, New York Times, 29 May 2026
  • Some fans weighed in on his outfit choice on social media, sparking conversations about if the actor might have embarrassed his wife.
    Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • She was ultimately convicted on all 12 counts stemming from their deaths, including murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, and drug possession.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
  • Fiedler is capable of aggravating us but not of boring us.
    Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Adjective
  • Divers cautioned that the next phase of the mission will be extremely complex, and at the mercy of the elements.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
  • Even if most of that new work was beneath their pay grade, the number of complex projects also exploded.
    Rob Collie, Fortune, 29 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Complicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicate. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.

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