meaning of " even more so than"

[anhnha]

"For all the Syrian bravado and rhetoric, this is the biggest hit that they have taken. Even more so than the EU and U.S. sanctions," said Rime Allaf, associate fellow at London's Chatham House.
More:Analysis: Arab moves isolate Assad, West intervention unlikely | Reuters
What does the phrase "even more so than" mean? Is it used to "emphasize" something.

 

[Tdol]

Yes- it emphasises that this hit is bigger than those sanctions, confirming that it is indeed the biggest hit.

 

[anhnha]

Can I replace "so" in "even more so than" by "hit" in this case?
"Even more hit than the EU and U.S. sanctions"

 

[Tdol]

I wouldn't- you're trying to turn it into even more hit than the hit.

 

[Barb_D]

You would need to replace the phrase with "Even bigger than..." or "An even bigger hit than..."

(Note that it's a fragment.)