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
Furthermore, viruses exploit these interactions by hijacking host proteins to replicate during infection.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Their strong magnetic pull can cause parts of the digestive tract to stick together, leading to severe complications such as pressure necrosis, perforation or life-threatening infections, according to the report.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Potential impacts on the lymphatic system, which helps keep the body’s fluid levels balanced and protects against infection, are a particular concern around the eye as well.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025
By the numbers, the most common non-athletic trail injuries are soft-tissue wounds and subsequent infections from inadequate wound care.
—Patricia "blackpacker" Cameron, Outside Online, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infection
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Their strong magnetic pull can cause parts of the digestive tract to stick together, leading to severe complications such as pressure necrosis, perforation or life-threatening infections, according to the report.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Potential impacts on the lymphatic system, which helps keep the body’s fluid levels balanced and protects against infection, are a particular concern around the eye as well.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Oct. 2025
By the numbers, the most common non-athletic trail injuries are soft-tissue wounds and subsequent infections from inadequate wound care.
—Patricia "blackpacker" Cameron, Outside Online, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infection
Noun
-
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 4 Nov. 2025.
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