as in to impose
to cause someone to accept or experience something unwanted
The criminal inflicted a lifetime of distress on his unsuspecting victims.
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Recent Examples of inflict
Running back Bijan Robinson had a career performance as the Atlanta Falcons toppled Josh Allen and the Bills 24-14 on Monday Night Football, inflicting a second straight defeat on Buffalo.
—
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
The relentless physical damage inflicted on people with type 1 diabetes is well known.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
President Biden singularly stands out in his callous enabling of the horrors inflicted on Gaza for more than a year.
—Shibley Telhami, Time, 13 Oct. 2025
Of course, Nix never has to worry about the pain his defensive teammates can inflict, protected in practice by the strict don’t-touch-the-QB edict.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflict
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
The relentless physical damage inflicted on people with type 1 diabetes is well known.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
President Biden singularly stands out in his callous enabling of the horrors inflicted on Gaza for more than a year.
—Shibley Telhami, Time, 13 Oct. 2025
Of course, Nix never has to worry about the pain his defensive teammates can inflict, protected in practice by the strict don’t-touch-the-QB edict.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflict
Verb
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Never booked or sent off, physically imposing yet beautifully balanced, Charles attained legend status in Turin — Il Gigante Buono.—
Michael Walker,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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The writer-director doesn’t solicit sympathy for Polly (played by Dakota Fanning) or impose meaning on her suffering.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The bad news is that there are already murmurs in Brussels about piecemeal, incremental measures – harmonizing certain national laws, creating yet another framework for EU member states to fuss over and interpret.—
Jan Hammer,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
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The series is created, written, directed and executive produced by Levinson and produced in partnership with A24.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The anger mirrors recent protests against ruling elites in countries including Nepal, where the prime minister was forced to resign last month, and Morocco.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
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In the end, real victims are forced to wait longer for relief, while public trust in judicial fairness continues to erode.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Charismatic and successful military leaders like Douglas MacArthur, who refused to follow President Harry Truman’s orders during the Korean War, will always hold considerable power due to the prestige and dominance that militaries bring.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
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His aspiration to be a country artist was what first brought the Texas native to Nashville, at age 19 in 1993.—
Nancy Kruh,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflict. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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