become increasingly more difficult

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "become increasingly more difficult" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a situation or task that is progressively becoming harder over time. Example: "As the project progressed, it became increasingly more difficult to meet the deadlines due to unforeseen challenges."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

28 human-written examples

"Resources are becoming constrained, and that means many of the things we have been doing are going to become increasingly more difficult".

BBC

"In recent years, it has become increasingly more difficult to find common ground on environmental issues," Mr. Singh said.

The New York Times

Mr. Blank said that in New York, he wasn't "worried about planned condominiums because it's going to become increasingly more difficult to finance new construction".

The New York Times

"As with the image forensics, we expect each technique can be circumvented, but circumventing a larger set of tools will become increasingly more difficult," he adds.

MIT Technology Review

As buildings are now taller, larger, and more complex, it has become increasingly more difficult to secure stockyards for materials and to resolve the surrounding traffic problems, creating an increased need for Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery.

Automation in Construction

If defining this betterness has become increasingly more difficult (half the diet books that spilled over my desk in December focused on going gluten-free), the core of the answer is known to everyone: eat more plants.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

And without those quality players, getting back to the Champions League becomes increasingly more difficult.

Independent

As a blockchain community grows, it becomes increasingly more difficult for stakeholders to reach a consensus on changing network rules.

Harvard Business Review

As natural gas use continues to grow and billions of dollars are invested in new natural gas infrastructure, weaning ourselves from natural gas use becomes increasingly more difficult.

University of California, Berkeley

The dinosaurs had been arranged in a hierarchy from the least to the most powerful, and the battles became increasingly more difficult.

The New York Times - Magazine

Whilst innovation by mutation and by conventional evolutionary algorithms becomes increasingly more difficult as evolution continues in this landscape, innovation by composition is not impeded as it discovers and assembles component entities through successive hierarchical levels.

Biosystems

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "become increasingly more difficult" to clearly indicate a gradual increase in the level of difficulty, rather than a sudden shift. This helps the reader understand the progression of a challenge or situation.

Common error

Avoid adding redundant intensifiers like "very" or "extremely" before "difficult". The phrase "become increasingly more difficult" already conveys a significant degree of challenge, so adding further emphasis can sound repetitive and weaken the writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "become increasingly more difficult" functions as a predicate in a sentence, describing the state or condition of a subject. As Ludwig AI explains, it conveys a gradual increase in difficulty, indicating a process rather than a static condition. For example, 'it will become increasingly more difficult to enter' shows a future state of progressive difficulty.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Academia

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "become increasingly more difficult" is a grammatically correct and versatile phrase used to describe a gradual increase in difficulty. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, and the numerous examples demonstrate its prevalence in diverse contexts, especially in news, science, and business writing. While shorter alternatives exist, this phrase effectively communicates the progressive nature of a challenge. When using this phrase, avoid redundancy and consider its neutral tone to ensure it aligns with the overall formality of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

become progressively more challenging

Replaces "difficult" with "challenging", suggesting a focus on the stimulating rather than burdensome aspect.

grow increasingly complex

Shifts the focus from difficulty to complexity, implying an increase in the number of interacting parts.

get harder and harder

Uses a simpler, more informal phrasing to convey the increasing difficulty.

become ever more arduous

Replaces "difficult" with "arduous", suggesting a strenuous or taxing effort is required.

pose an escalating challenge

Changes the structure to emphasize the challenge being presented, rather than the act of becoming difficult.

prove increasingly problematic

Shifts the focus to the problems arising from the increasing difficulty.

present mounting obstacles

Emphasizes the obstacles that accumulate and cause increasing difficulty.

become steadily more demanding

Replaces "difficult" with "demanding", highlighting the increasing requirements or expectations.

turn into a greater struggle

Focuses on the struggle aspect, suggesting an ongoing effort against increasing resistance.

evolve into a bigger hurdle

Uses "hurdle" metaphorically to describe an obstacle to overcome, emphasizing the evolutionary aspect.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "become increasingly more difficult" to sound less verbose?

Consider using shorter alternatives like "become more challenging", "become progressively difficult", or "grow more complex" depending on the specific context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "become increasingly difficult" instead of "become increasingly more difficult"?

Yes, both are grammatically correct, but "become increasingly difficult" is often more concise and preferred. Adding "more" isn't incorrect but can sometimes sound redundant. The choice depends on the desired emphasis and flow of your sentence.

What's the difference between "become increasingly more difficult" and "become less easy"?

While both phrases convey a similar idea, "become increasingly more difficult" focuses on the active increase in difficulty. "Become less easy" emphasizes the decreasing ease or simplicity. The choice depends on whether you want to highlight the growing challenge or the diminishing simplicity.

When should I use "become increasingly more difficult" in my writing?

Use "become increasingly more difficult" when you want to describe a gradual process where something is not simply difficult from the start, but progressively evolves into a more challenging state. This is particularly useful when describing projects, skills, or situations that evolve over time.