as in virus
an abnormal state caused by contact with harmful organisms (such as bacteria or viruses)
There is a viral infection spreading among the schoolchildren.
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Recent Examples of infection
According to Weil, acute inflammation is a natural, protective response to injury or infection and is an important part of healing.
—
Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Viral infections may also be a factor, according to Gaesser.
—CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Tens of thousands died making the journey west, often from now-easily treatable illnesses, infections and broken bones.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Measles can have serious long-term effects, including hearing loss, diminished immunity from previous infections with other viruses and pneumonia.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infection
Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Viral infections may also be a factor, according to Gaesser.
—CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Tens of thousands died making the journey west, often from now-easily treatable illnesses, infections and broken bones.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Measles can have serious long-term effects, including hearing loss, diminished immunity from previous infections with other viruses and pneumonia.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infection
Noun
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In November 2020, Seibt falsely claimed that COVID-19 had not been isolated and that PCR tests were unreliable, alleging they were based solely on a computer model of the virus’s genome.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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But soon, an intruder introduces both suspicion and hope for connection, as loneliness battles with the fear that something considerably larger than a virus is hiding in the dark.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Chicken and turkey carried the highest-risk strains of bacteria, but pork and beef also carried the illness-causing germs.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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In Toilet Base Regularly cleaning your toilet with water and vinegar will keep the smells away, but will also clean any of the germs that fester in and around your toilet and make the area stink, according to Knoll.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infection. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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