Holiday buying sprees merely exacerbate problems for compulsive buyers.

In a vain attempt to reduce expenditure, Romanos limited his wife's expenses, which merely exacerbated the alienation between the two.

Of course, each weaver blamed the others for their dwindling trade, which merely exacerbated matters.

All these questions merely exacerbated his headache.

The structure of modern social life merely exacerbates the problems faced by families.

The conversations helped, and hurt; they merely exacerbated his desire to go home.

However, this solution merely exacerbated the issue over the long term; as the Empire grew, the cost of maintaining communications, garrisons, civil government, etc., increased.

He is merely exacerbating the problem.

I supposed that he meant to get away, but since I didn't let go, the movement merely exacerbated the situation between us.

To write of homelessness would merely exacerbate the situation - as another has already stated.