afflicts

present tense third-person singular 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 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, 19 Aug. 2025 Although there have been recent breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, no medication has succeeded in stopping or reversing the disease that afflicts more than 7 million Americans, a number projected to reach almost 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025 And the same problem afflicts electronic cigarettes, which have been blowing up in people’s faces sporadically. Weiyang Li, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Aug. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afflicts
plagues
Verb
  • Everything that plagues Chicago also plagues America.
    Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
  • This temporary fix does nothing to resolve the chronic underfunding and instability that plagues these programs year after year.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Afflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afflicts. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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