as in poisoning
to pass something harmful (such as a disease) to someone or something else
If you come to work when you're sick, you'll infect everyone in the office.
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Recent Examples of infecting
That’s the best way to keep the flies from infecting the fruits.
—
Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
These facilities agreed to and completed full cleaning and disinfection procedures to prevent the bacteria from growing and infecting others.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
Central America is currently grappling with outbreaks of the destructive pest, which have been threatening livestock and infecting people.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 26 Aug. 2025
The disease can be transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected person, acquiring the parasite, and then bites another person, infecting them.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025
Scammers can intercept security codes and log in to your account by hijacking your phone number or infecting your device.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Their larvae can infest freshwater bodies like lakes, ponds and rivers—infecting people who, for example, swim, fish or wash clothes in the water.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
The virus, which is infecting people through bites from Aedes mosquitoes, has been spreading in China’s Guangdong province this summer.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Herd immunity is the percent of the population that needs to be vaccinated to reduce the risk of a disease spreading and infecting those who can’t get vaccinated, either because of age, pregnancy or medical conditions.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 15 Mar. 2025
Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
These facilities agreed to and completed full cleaning and disinfection procedures to prevent the bacteria from growing and infecting others.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
Central America is currently grappling with outbreaks of the destructive pest, which have been threatening livestock and infecting people.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 26 Aug. 2025
The disease can be transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected person, acquiring the parasite, and then bites another person, infecting them.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025
Scammers can intercept security codes and log in to your account by hijacking your phone number or infecting your device.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Their larvae can infest freshwater bodies like lakes, ponds and rivers—infecting people who, for example, swim, fish or wash clothes in the water.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
The virus, which is infecting people through bites from Aedes mosquitoes, has been spreading in China’s Guangdong province this summer.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Herd immunity is the percent of the population that needs to be vaccinated to reduce the risk of a disease spreading and infecting those who can’t get vaccinated, either because of age, pregnancy or medical conditions.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 15 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infecting
Verb
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Sherrilyn McQueen, who has published more than 80 novels that reached the New York Times bestseller list under the name Sherrilyn Kenyon, first accused her ex-husband Lawrence Kenyon of poisoning her in a lawsuit in 2019, a year after her husband filed for divorce.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
10 Sep. 2025
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Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella infection usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The additional time exposed to harsh radiation is, not surprisingly, corrupting JunoCam's images.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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This comes as reports continue to roll in that another August update fail has been corrupting PC SSDs when writing large files.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Can it be taken without an unacceptable risk of contaminating the supply from the ocean above?—
Rodrique Ngowi,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
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Just as Cassini was sent into Saturn at the end of its mission to avoid contaminating Saturn’s moons with any stowaway organics brought from Earth, so too will Juno be brought to an end by forcing it to plunge into a gas giant world.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But drawing an over-aggressive, poor-technique personal foul on a 60-yard attempt for a guy trying a field goal 12 yards longer than any attempt in his career is akin to fouling a basketball player heaving a three-quarters court shot at the buzzer while trailing by two.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Sep. 2025
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He was hurt while fouling off a pitch on Thursday night.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Without spoiling the actual ending, you guys do not die.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
12 Sep. 2025
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Without spoiling anyone’s fate, suffice to say the movie ends on a cliffhanger, as a favorite character teeters between life and death.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The club fees paid by growers go to marketing investments used for websites, TikToks, and ads, giving it wider appeal.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025
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As the overall matter heads towards its March 9, 2026 trial date start, Judge Liman will have the final word – for now – on bringing Swift on board and giving Baldoni and his Wayfarer co-founders more time for their own depositions.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infecting. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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