1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
it really aggravates me when I arrive 10 minutes before the stated closing time, and the store's closed already
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Recent Examples of aggravate
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.
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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
Through immigration policy, the Trump administration could either aggravate the shortage or ease it, which would either raise or lower housing costs.
—Salim Furth, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025
These have got worse across the previous two years and have recently been aggravated by a slew of injuries.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggravate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggravate
Verb
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Instead of getting annoyed, try again a few minutes later and remember, never vent your frustration to your cats.—
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Since then, Lorenzo had been aggressive in pushing the Pinos to seek better medical expertise to get to the bottom of Tatiana’s health problems — an effort that reportedly annoyed Sergio.—
Verb
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In the next episode, which followed the premiere, the feud continued to worsen.—
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Elsewhere in the Keys, worsening water quality has been identified as one of the factors responsible for a decline in bonefish and tarpon, and the devastation of Florida's coral reefs.—
Verb
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Ramirez-Rosa has been a magnet for it, in ways that could further irritate the city’s already-tender Black-Latino relations.—
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Products with fragrances can also irritate the skin.—
Verb
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Both prove facile stabs at deepening their male counterparts.—
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What’s Next: The Fed, Earnings, and More Tariff Talk As investors look forward, the focus shifts to a few catalysts that could either stabilize markets or deepen the decline: The Federal Reserve’s next moves, a fresh batch of economic data, Russia Ukraine Peace talks, and the ongoing trade war.—
Verb
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Gathering at Scripps Research’s third annual Pandemic Preparedness Symposium last week, researchers working in virology and chemistry did not bother to debate whether or not H5N1 avian influenza will clear this rapidly shrinking hurdle.—
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In the show’s latter years, however, that’s mostly been condensed down to one sewing challenge and one ball — season 13 didn’t even bother with the sewing challenge, just hitting the single ball.—
Verb
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The sudden rise of mortgage rates in 2022 following the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hike campaign exacerbated the affordability crisis, squeezing many aspiring homebuyers out of the market entirely.—
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Stress reduction techniques: Chronic stress can exacerbate autoimmune conditions.—
Verb
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The movie's famous final scene sees Hackman's character playing the saxophone after his paranoia has led him to destroy his entire apartment to see if it was bugged.—
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Drew played in our first game and had a good game versus Santa Teresa, but he’s got a shoulder injury that’s been bugging him.—
Verb
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One reason is likely intensifying EV competition, especially from companies like China’s BYD.—
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But that pressure has been intensified by the Trump administration – especially on the offshore wind industry.—
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Cite this Entry
“Aggravate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggravate. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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