Definition of complicationnext
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as in difficulty
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult the food allergies of the guests were just another complication for the couple trying to plan their wedding reception

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of complication One of the biggest concerns is that someone with an incidental finding may then have follow-up computed tomography scans, as well as ionizing radiation and biopsy complications, searching for something that never would have caused symptoms. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Inside is like a mini-urgent care facility, equipped to treat everything from minor injuries to serious complications. Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 1 July 2026 Research suggests prolonged exposure to extreme heat during pregnancy may increase the risk of certain complications. ABC News, 1 July 2026 As such, Volvo’s dealer network is an obvious fallback to handle Polestar service or even helping to sell the remaining inventory, but even that is fraught with complications. Joel Feder, The Drive, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for complication
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complication
Noun
  • The setback stems from difficulties manufacturing a key circuit board at the heart of the system, SemiAnalysis said in a post on Monday.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • My father barely spoke of those dangers and difficulties, the way men of his generation often did.
    Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • The shipment includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care, including supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention and treatment, according to the United Nations.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • The rabies vaccine, if administered immediately after exposure, is nearly 100% successful at preventing the disease, according to the World Health Organization.
    Kelli Arseneau, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • Three extraordinary new books, published this year, shed light on the brilliance and complexity of Morrison’s life and work, and place her as an American eminence, a visionary who saw fiction as a means through which to recast her country’s story.
    Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The story explores family trauma, friendship, healing and the complexities of navigating life as a Black woman.
    Alexa Stone July 2, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • The women wanted physicians who were disease preventers, and doctors who were attentive to the difficulties wrought by menopause, which have been increasingly found to leave women vulnerable to other ailments.
    Melanie Thernstrom, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • Imaging this week showed Brown has a stress reaction in his neck, which was in the same spot as his 2024 ailment that ultimately had been diagnosed as an osteoma (benign bone tumor).
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • If anyone shows signs of heat illness, promptly move them to a cool, shaded area.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 July 2026
  • Despite some athletes reporting illness afterward, no clear link to the water was confirmed, and the century-long psychological barrier to bathing in the Seine was finally broken.
    Camille Knight, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • Air conditioning will be keeping millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the holiday weekend as a heat dome brings dangerous conditions to millions.
    Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • The statute would ban covered officers from wearing masks or shielding their identities while on duty and interacting with the public, with exceptions including medical masks, religious coverings, certain tactical equipment and hazardous conditions.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • Hualde says that some Pamplona residents rue his early promotion of the festival due to the ills of overtourism the sleepy provincial city is now experiencing.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026
  • That’s actually the theme of an essay that Masha Gessen, who writes often about Russia and its many ills, has asked.
    Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • Her 12-year-old son, Whitman, has autism and a neurological disorder called apraxia, in which the brain struggles to tell muscles how to move to form words or perform other motor skills.
    Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The platform also provides a framework for treating brain disorders using real-time feedback from the nervous system itself, Wang adds.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Complication.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complication. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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