make matters worse

phrase

: to make a situation worse
He laughed at her and then, to make matters worse, he accused her of lying!

Examples of make matters worse in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To make matters worse, the bench was already claiming another penalty after Alexis Mac Allister looked to have slightly pulled Hamdy Fathy down moments before. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 8 July 2026 To make matters worse, the Department of Education sent emails to nine million people notifying them of approvals even as the plan was blocked. — Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 2 July 2026

Rhymes for make matters worse

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Browse Nearby Words

make many demands on
make matters worse
make mention of
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Cite this Entry

“Make matters worse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20matters%20worse. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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