1
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the condition of the house worsened with every year of neglect
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Recent Examples of worsen
Pessimism about many sectors of the economy decreased last month: 26.7% expect business conditions to worsen—up from 19.6% last month, 25.9% anticipate fewer jobs—an increase of almost 5% over January, and 13.7% expect their incomes to decrease—up from 12.3% in January.
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Megan Poinski, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Potential cuts to Medicaid could worsen Washington state's multibillion-dollar budget shortfall and threaten health benefits for nearly 2 million Washingtonians, state officials warn.
—Melissa Santos, Axios, 3 Mar. 2025
The pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has lung disease and was admitted to Gemelli after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into pneumonia in both lungs.
—Giovanna Dell'orto, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for worsen
Megan Poinski, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Potential cuts to Medicaid could worsen Washington state's multibillion-dollar budget shortfall and threaten health benefits for nearly 2 million Washingtonians, state officials warn.
—Melissa Santos, Axios, 3 Mar. 2025
The pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has lung disease and was admitted to Gemelli after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into pneumonia in both lungs.
—Giovanna Dell'orto, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for worsen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worsen
Verb
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Read: The chaos in higher ed is only getting started The situation could deteriorate if current doctoral students start jumping ship.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
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Nearby, at the corner of Jefferson and Washington streets, a deteriorating, 1920s apartment building is slated to be incorporated into an $80 million medical office building.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Today, despite its crumbling condition, the concrete trough still attracts young Bosnian athletes chasing Olympic dreams.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2025
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But the vaccine's power to beat back measles outbreaks starts to crumble when vaccination rates drop low enough.—
Alyson Hurt,
NPR,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Multi-sensory engagement—blending visuals, sound, touch, and even scent—can deepen emotional connections, making customers more likely to return and spread the word.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Cancer then deepened the work, asking whether old emotional patterns still served you.—
Colin Bedell,
Them,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Zelenskyy arrived in the U.K. on Saturday, straight from his visit to Washington, D.C., in which an Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance descended into an open argument in front of gathered reporters.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2025
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Former Soviet territories descended into a civil war that recalled the nineteenth century.—
James Verini,
The New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But that pressure has been intensified by the Trump administration – especially on the offshore wind industry.—
Matt Egan,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
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One reason is likely intensifying EV competition, especially from companies like China’s BYD.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Research from analytics firm Gallup shows that U.S. alcohol consumption is declining, with younger generations drinking significantly less than their predecessors.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
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Daily meme coin launches peaked shortly after the $trump coin debut but have declined sharply.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The veterans organizations argued that veteran homelessness, which had been on a downward trend, has been exacerbated by the recent Palisades and Eaton fires.—
Doug Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
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And then everybody in the industry is talking to them about agents for their silo, which is only going to exacerbate the complexity.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Worsen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worsen. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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