as in poisons
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 infects
Tomato Wilt Due To Root-Knot Nematodes Another pest that infects tomato plants below ground is the root-knot nematode.
—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
But even with federal legislation prohibiting discrimination, the pernicious virus of bias infects too many institutions.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2026
While at Johns Hopkins, Roizman and two colleagues discovered the respiratory syncytial virus, which infects lungs and the respiratory tract.
—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
While the Andes hantavirus infects a few dozen people every year in the Patagonian region of Argentina further north, it has never been detected in Ushuaia or the wider archipelago of Tierra del Fuego.
—
ABC News,
5 June 2026
Orthoebolaviruses are also known to cause hemorrhagic fever, in which the virus infects specific immune cells, triggering a massive inflammatory response that can lead to internal bleeding and organ failure.
—
Claire Maldarelli,
Scientific American,
22 May 2026
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes, and a rash.
—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
The Sin Nombre hantavirus is the most common cause of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in North America and infects humans by way of the saliva, urine or droppings of deer mice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
According to PetMD, Salmonella infects the gastrointestinal tract of pets.
—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
But even with federal legislation prohibiting discrimination, the pernicious virus of bias infects too many institutions.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2026
While at Johns Hopkins, Roizman and two colleagues discovered the respiratory syncytial virus, which infects lungs and the respiratory tract.
—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
While the Andes hantavirus infects a few dozen people every year in the Patagonian region of Argentina further north, it has never been detected in Ushuaia or the wider archipelago of Tierra del Fuego.
—
ABC News,
5 June 2026
Orthoebolaviruses are also known to cause hemorrhagic fever, in which the virus infects specific immune cells, triggering a massive inflammatory response that can lead to internal bleeding and organ failure.
—
Claire Maldarelli,
Scientific American,
22 May 2026
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes, and a rash.
—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
The Sin Nombre hantavirus is the most common cause of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in North America and infects humans by way of the saliva, urine or droppings of deer mice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
According to PetMD, Salmonella infects the gastrointestinal tract of pets.
—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infects
Verb
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In the film, Cady also poisons the family dog, Benjamin.
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The bait poisons the entire colony, including the queen, so no new ants can be produced.
Verb
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Forgetting his bond with the land, Mariano awakens the Ch’iqmi, a dark force that corrupts his people.
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One nanny will try to get to the bottom of it before all the partying, power and privilege corrupts her.
Verb
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While water salinity isn't a major issue in most regulated urban water systems, Gupta said the concern mainly applies in coastal and low-lying regions where saltwater intrusion contaminates groundwater, increasing sodium concentrations in drinking water.
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The practice contaminates the legal supply chain, threatens public health, and erases tax liability, industry insiders and officials say.
Verb
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The twisting barrel easily clamps to hair (without pulling) and gives you long-lasting curls for up to two days.
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What gives these companies confidence that non-invasive approaches to telepathy will prove viable, when this has never before been possible?
Verb
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Even worse, some streams lag so far behind live that a text from a friend or app notification spoils a game-changing goal.
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Alphabet, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI and the sundry other rivals for the AI spoils can’t all grab a couple of points of GDP in sales, the prize built into SpaceX’s celestial cap.
Cite this Entry
“Infects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infects. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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