as in plagues
to cause persistent suffering to
the South was afflicted by a severe drought he's been afflicted by nightmares ever since the accident
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Recent Examples of afflicts
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily and most severely afflicts children.
—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Consider osteoarthritis, which afflicts roughly 33 million Americans by gradually wearing down cartilage in the joints.
—
Bryan T. Kelly,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Cucumbers are also susceptible to powdery mildew, a problem that afflicts many zinnias.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
The centuries-old pot-kettle idiom points out hypocrisy — as when one person accuses another of a flaw that afflicts himself.
—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
The centuries-old pot-kettle idiom points out hypocrisy — as when one person accuses another of a flaw that afflicts himself.
—
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Lupus, which afflicts some five million people worldwide, is a leading cause of death among young women.
—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Hicks and her legal team allege medical personnel later diagnosed Hicks with gestational diabetes — a condition that afflicts some pregnant women — as further justification to induce her.
—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
The disease afflicts individuals as well as corporate entities.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Consider osteoarthritis, which afflicts roughly 33 million Americans by gradually wearing down cartilage in the joints.
—
Bryan T. Kelly,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Cucumbers are also susceptible to powdery mildew, a problem that afflicts many zinnias.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
The centuries-old pot-kettle idiom points out hypocrisy — as when one person accuses another of a flaw that afflicts himself.
—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
The centuries-old pot-kettle idiom points out hypocrisy — as when one person accuses another of a flaw that afflicts himself.
—
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Lupus, which afflicts some five million people worldwide, is a leading cause of death among young women.
—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Hicks and her legal team allege medical personnel later diagnosed Hicks with gestational diabetes — a condition that afflicts some pregnant women — as further justification to induce her.
—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
The disease afflicts individuals as well as corporate entities.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicts
Verb
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No, what plagues the Padres is so much deeper.
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Odd moment plagues fourth quarter As the Knicks held on to their fairly sizable lead, a fan ran onto the court, tried to take a selfie with Wembanyama but was quickly apprehended by security.
Verb
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China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.
-
In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.
Cite this Entry
“Afflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicts. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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