When things go from bad to worse, it's always good to have a few synonyms up your sleeve to keep your writing engaging. 'Deteriorate' and 'decline' are phrases that convey a worsening situation, while 'degenerate' denotes a negative shift within an individual or group. 'Plummet' describes a sudden fall in quality or progress, with 'regress' illustrating a return to a previous, inferior state. 'Exacerbate' means to aggravate an already bad situation, while 'worsen' is the most straightforward synonym of all. With these synonyms, you can add variety to your writing as you describe circumstances when things continue getting worse.