The company's financial struggles were _______ by the economic downturn, which had a ripple effect on the industry.
Q1. The company's financial struggles were _______ by the economic downturn, which had a ripple effect on the industry.
Answer: exacerbated
Explanation: The word 'exacerbated' fits the context as it means to make something worse. The sentence implies the economic downturn made the company's struggles worse.