exacerbating the issue

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "exacerbating the issue" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a situation that is being made worse or more severe. Example: "The lack of communication between departments is exacerbating the issue of project delays."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

A lack of national alcohol strategy was exacerbating the issue.

The Guardian - Tech

But now climate change is exacerbating the issue.

The Guardian

Recruiters said finding good candidates to fill vacancies was their biggest problem, and that teachers leaving the sector or moving to other schools was exacerbating the issue.

The Guardian

To take them out of context is unacceptable and I think is not helping the issue, it's exacerbating the issue," he said.

The Guardian

Exacerbating the issue, standard materials characterization practices, such as calculating the band structure, can become expensive when considering finite-size scaling, charge corrections6, and going beyond standard density functional theory (DFT) with Green's function methods such as the fully self-consistent GW approximation7,8.

Nature

Exacerbating the issue is the high level of allocations to the region.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

But being in a state of apathy, we are not creating any solutions -- we are exacerbating the issues even further.

HuffPost

In the area around Lake Kivu, primarily in North Kivu, fighting continues among the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and between the government FARDC and Laurent Nkunda's troops, with all groups greatly exacerbating the issues of internal refugees in the area of Goma, the consequent food shortages, and loss of infrastructure from the years of conflict.

Wikipedia

Competition has exacerbated the issue.

The Guardian

Fall Quarter just seemed to exacerbate the issue entirely.

Stanford University

Delaying these vital decisions will only exacerbate the issue".

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "exacerbating the issue", ensure that the context clearly defines the original problem being made worse. This helps maintain clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "exacerbating the issue" in overly simple situations where more straightforward language would suffice. Overusing complex phrasing can make your writing sound pretentious or unclear.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "exacerbating the issue" functions as a verbal phrase acting as a modifier, typically within a clause. It describes an action that intensifies a pre-existing problem. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically sound and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "exacerbating the issue" is a grammatically correct and usable expression, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, used to describe actions or conditions that worsen a pre-existing problem. While not as common as simpler alternatives like "worsening the problem", it finds frequent use in news, scientific, and formal business contexts. The phrase carries a neutral to formal tone, suitable for analytical and descriptive writing where emphasizing the intensification of a problem is crucial. The sources listed above like The Guardian and Huffington Post are just some of the most frequent authoritative sources that include this expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

worsening the problem

Replaces "exacerbating" with "worsening", a more common and straightforward synonym.

aggravating the situation

Substitutes "exacerbating" with "aggravating" and "issue" with "situation", offering a slightly different nuance.

intensifying the problem

Replaces "exacerbating" with "intensifying", suggesting a strengthening of the problem.

compounding the difficulty

Replaces "exacerbating" with "compounding" and "issue" with "difficulty", implying an increase in complexity.

heightening the crisis

Replaces "exacerbating" with "heightening" and "issue" with "crisis", indicating a more severe escalation.

inflaming the matter

Replaces "exacerbating" with "inflaming" and "issue" with "matter", suggesting an increase in emotional intensity.

worsening matters

A more concise alternative, replacing the entire phrase with a simpler expression.

aggravating circumstances

Shifts focus to the circumstances being worsened, rather than the issue itself.

pouring oil on the fire

An idiomatic expression conveying the act of making a situation worse through one's actions.

making matters worse

A common and direct way of saying that something is worsening a situation.

FAQs

What does "exacerbating the issue" mean?

The phrase "exacerbating the issue" means making an existing problem worse or more severe. It implies that a particular action or situation is contributing to the problem's intensity.

How can I use "exacerbating the issue" in a sentence?

You can use "exacerbating the issue" to describe how a specific factor is worsening a problem. For example: "The lack of funding is "exacerbating the issue" of homelessness in the city."

What are some alternatives to "exacerbating the issue"?

Alternatives include "worsening the problem", "aggravating the situation", or "intensifying the problem". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "exacerbating the issue"?

It is appropriate to use "exacerbating the issue" in formal or neutral contexts where you want to emphasize that something is actively making a problem worse. Avoid using it in very informal or casual settings where simpler language would be more suitable.