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
Transportation to remote areas can be complicated, and having a guide, or at least a member of your group with knowledge of the terrain, can’t hurt. Natalie Proulx, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025 The rock star’s health issues stem from a 2007 spinal injury that left him with severe nerve damage and limited mobility, complicating his ability to play the instrument. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Although federal workers are paid retroactively, a cash crunch at Christmastime can dampen retail sales and complicate travel. Louis Jacobson and Amy Sherman, Austin American-Statesman, 29 Dec. 2024 Simplify Technology Digital transformation often results in tech sprawl, a web of disconnected tools that silo data and complicate workflows. Ed Jennings, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for complicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complicate
Verb
  • Popular freezer hacks include saving Parmesan rinds to deepen the flavor of soups, cutting up loaves of bread for toast, and even storing homemade jam without all the mess of canning.
    Meghan McCarron, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
  • But Kevin and his team are actually bringing to India the largest and the most deepened entertainment portfolio that India has ever seen.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • To give an idea of the complicated setting: Patrick Baladi plays Andrew, Charlotte’s lawyer husband who is hired as Jess’s defense when she is accused of harming her 10-month-old.
    Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Refunds are typically smaller at the start of the tax season because low- and middle-income workers with simpler tax returns are often the first to file, while higher-income Americans or people with more complicated taxes tend to wait until closer to the April 15 deadline to file their returns.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Those conversations intensified this week with interviews in Indianapolis, as teams do their due diligence.
    Kevin Fishbain, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Following the injury, his determination intensified.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Many are barely able to pay their staff livable wages, causing rampant turnover and a scarcity of educators, further worsening educational outcomes.
    Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
  • According to the Financial Health Network’s Financial Health Pulse 2024 report, 70% of American households remain financially unhealthy with day-to-day financial realities worsening for many.
    Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • These new platforms need to be able to embrace intricate supply chain data, real-time alerting, and complex decision-support tradeoffs.
    Steve Banker, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Their songs contained more complex sounds, and the mice switched between those sounds in more intricate patterns.
    Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The rest would sooner expect the AfD to embarrass Germany than to save it.
    Simon Shuster/Berlin, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The rapper has famously pressed people (and embarrassed them) regarding giving him monies owed on social media.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The shift may not only draw anger from Israel's emboldened far right but also aggravate divisions within Trump's own administration between an old conservative guard seeking a more assertive posture on Iran and the rising cadre of Trump loyalists who more closely share the president's vision.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Vargas, 38, of Osteen, pleaded guilty on Aug. 21 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit money laundering, prosecutors said.
    Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The study, published in the medical journal JAMA by the Benioff Homeless and Housing Initiative at UC San Francisco, gives a complex statistical picture of a topic that has been fraught by conflicting narratives.
    Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025
  • If learning the difference in roles that wielding a switch axe has in contrast to a hammer doesn’t sound complex enough there are elemental weaknesses and resistances to keep in mind around each monster.
    Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Complicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complicate. Accessed 3 Mar. 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!