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
In other words, a sort of onanism of the soul afflicts him.
—
Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The disease afflicts individuals as well as corporate entities.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
Furthermore, regulatory sclerosis afflicts housing and infrastructure.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Dec. 2025
Violence provided a solution but also birthed the recurring dilemma that afflicts African states today.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The images have become the site of a self-conscious meta-comedy about the consuming urge to post that afflicts a portion of the population.
—Paul McAdory, Them., 9 Dec. 2025
Illness and job losses left Allen Gray vulnerable to a problem that afflicts thousands of Cincinnati seniors.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent research finds a similar curse afflicts National Football League teams that compete to acquire one of the top picks in its annual draft of new players.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Motion sickness afflicts one in three adults and one in two children.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
The disease afflicts individuals as well as corporate entities.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
Furthermore, regulatory sclerosis afflicts housing and infrastructure.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Dec. 2025
Violence provided a solution but also birthed the recurring dilemma that afflicts African states today.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
The images have become the site of a self-conscious meta-comedy about the consuming urge to post that afflicts a portion of the population.
—Paul McAdory, Them., 9 Dec. 2025
Illness and job losses left Allen Gray vulnerable to a problem that afflicts thousands of Cincinnati seniors.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent research finds a similar curse afflicts National Football League teams that compete to acquire one of the top picks in its annual draft of new players.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Motion sickness afflicts one in three adults and one in two children.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicts
Verb
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The damned disease especially plagues Mexican American men like me, and many aren’t getting screened.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Similarly, programs that encourage regular movement and mental breaks help mitigate the burnout that often plagues high-growth teams.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Afflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicts. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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