afflicting 1 of 2

afflicting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of afflict

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 afflicting
Verb
Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities. John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025 Americans live shorter lives than their European equivalents, McClatchy News reported in April, but the trend of stagnant life expectancy appears to be afflicting European nations the same, according to the study. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025 That’s changing this year, as three Democratic governors announced new initiatives aimed at addressing disparities afflicting boys and men. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2025 One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes. Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 To be sure, this rash of robberies pales in comparison with the crime levels afflicting less affluent neighborhoods on the South and West sides. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025 And yet, because the show requires quite a bit of prior knowledge for viewers to truly know what’s going on, particularly in the back half of the season, Born Again ends up suffering the exact same malady afflicting every other inch of the MCU enterprise. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025 Egg prices have jumped to all-time highs due in part to an outbreak of avian flu, or bird flu, that has been afflicting egg-laying hens in the US since 2022. Jennifer Hauser, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025 But when the movie begins, his bosses consider his contract killing career to be approaching its natural conclusion because of the joint pain afflicting his trigger finger. Natalia Winkelman, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicting
Adjective
  • Now supposedly dying from some terminal illness, Julian has gone total hermit mode inside of his cluttered London apartment, where the walls are festooned with the relics of his success and the backrooms are a junk pile of painful memories.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Dig a little deeper by comparing your top three financial goals and sharing your most painful and joyous money memories.
    Mary Clements Evans, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Or why this situation remains indicative of bigger issues plaguing our country, then and now?
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
  • While the problems plaguing humanity — from political strife to poverty to natural disasters — might seem overwhelming, Dorantes said the property’s history illustrates how much the world can actually change.
    Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The once-beloved pastels will become harsh.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The pilgrimage, listed on the official calendar of jubilee events, comes as gay Catholics look to Pope Leo XIV to continue down the bold path of his predecessor to welcome into the church a group that has in the past faced alienation and sometimes harsh treatment.
    Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.
    Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • In July, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two of the Taliban’s top leaders, accusing them of persecuting women and girls in Afghanistan, which the group dismissed.
    Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Because of the cruel math of throughput and utilization, over ten days, only three hundred people experienced Blur.
    Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Tamra was awful to Gretchen back then, culminating in the Naked Wasted Party, which was one of the cruelest things to ever happen on Housewives.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Afflicting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicting. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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