exacerbate the difficulties

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "exacerbate the difficulties" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing situations where problems or challenges are made worse or intensified. Example: "The new policy changes are likely to exacerbate the difficulties faced by small businesses during the economic downturn."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

The existence of such enclaves adds to the fiscal imbalance of neighbouring localities and can exacerbate the difficulties faced by older areas.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Rachel Jones, a principal research scientist with the Guttmacher Institute, says the closure would exacerbate the difficulties for Mississippi residents seeking an abortion; already, nearly two-thirds of those women travel outside the state for their procedures.

The Guardian

Such properties exacerbate the difficulties in spatiotemporal modeling of streamflow data.

Geoscience Letters

When damage begins, localized propagation of delamination cracks, which may lead to catastrophic failures, exacerbate the difficulties.

Dynamic Deformation, Damage and Fracture in Composite Materials and Structures

Punitive approaches can exacerbate the difficulties the individual may be experiencing.

Huffington Post

However, when individuals and populations of different races and regions are compared using the whole genome approach, a large proportion of the redundant and recombining regions exacerbate the difficulties encountered in exploring evolutionary relationships, common traits and disease susceptibilities between populations.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

There is broad agreement that the unprecedented size of the Fed's portfolio has complicated its ability to control the pace of inflation, and that additional purchases would exacerbate the difficulty.

The New York Times

Increasingly complex technologies can exacerbate the difficulty of identifying who or what is 'responsible'responsible

SEP

Attentional engagement with negative thought content is likely to contribute to the onset of worry (see Hirsch et al., 2011) while delayed disengagement may exacerbate the difficulty of stopping a worry episode once it has begun.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Although clinical staff shortages are a global problem, the NHS exacerbates the difficulties of workforce planning by constant changes in policy.

The Guardian

AS THE financial crisis took its toll and Britain slid into a severe slump in 2008 and 2009, one big worry was that the economy would also slip into deflation, exacerbating the difficulties of debt-laden households and firms.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "exacerbate the difficulties", ensure that the context clearly establishes the pre-existing problems that are being made worse. Clarity is key to effectively communicating the impact.

Common error

While "exacerbate the difficulties" is grammatically correct, it might sound overly formal or academic in casual conversation. Choose simpler alternatives like "worsen the problems" for everyday use.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "exacerbate the difficulties" functions as a verb phrase, indicating an action that intensifies or worsens existing problems. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct. The use of "exacerbate" suggests a more formal or technical context.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

36%

News & Media

32%

Formal & Business

11%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Unknown/unmatched sources

15%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "exacerbate the difficulties" is a grammatically sound and relatively common expression used to describe the act of making existing problems worse. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While it appears in various contexts, including science, news media, and formal business, it tends to lean towards a more formal register. When writing, consider the audience and context to determine if a simpler alternative like "worsen the problems" might be more appropriate. As shown in the Ludwig examples, this phrase is often used to emphasize the negative impact of certain factors or events on pre-existing challenges.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

worsen the challenges

Uses 'worsen' instead of 'exacerbate' and 'challenges' instead of 'difficulties'.

aggravate the problems

Replaces 'exacerbate' with 'aggravate' and 'difficulties' with 'problems'.

compound the issues

Employs 'compound' to suggest adding to the existing issues, making them more complex.

intensify the hardships

Substitutes 'exacerbate' with 'intensify' and 'difficulties' with 'hardships', adding a sense of severity.

heighten the struggles

Uses 'heighten' to convey the increased intensity of the 'struggles'.

magnify the troubles

Replaces 'exacerbate' with 'magnify', suggesting an enlargement of the 'troubles'.

add to the complexity

Focuses on increasing the complexity rather than directly worsening the difficulties.

inflate the magnitude of the problems

Uses 'inflate' to suggest an artificial increase in the size of the problems.

amplify the adversities

Employs 'amplify' to suggest increasing the impact or reach of the adversities.

contribute to the deterioration

Highlights the role of further contributing to a declining state.

FAQs

How can I use "exacerbate the difficulties" in a sentence?

You can use "exacerbate the difficulties" to describe situations where existing problems are made worse. For example, "The lack of funding will only exacerbate the difficulties faced by the program."

What are some alternatives to "exacerbate the difficulties"?

You can use alternatives like "worsen the challenges", "aggravate the problems", or "compound the issues" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "exacerbate the difficulties" or "worsen the difficulties"?

"Exacerbate the difficulties" is more formal and technical, while "worsen the difficulties" is simpler and more commonly used. Choose the phrase that best fits the tone and audience of your writing.

What is the difference between "exacerbate the difficulties" and "alleviate the difficulties"?

"Exacerbate the difficulties" means to make the difficulties worse, while "alleviate the difficulties" means to make the difficulties less severe or easier to bear.