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
By blocking access to humanitarian aid and medical facilities, Israel had inflicted conditions calculated to destroy the population in Gaza, according to the report.
—
Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 30 Sep. 2025
Klopp has praise for Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, who on Saturday inflicted a first defeat of the season on Klopp’s old Liverpool team.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The tragedy was self- inflicted.
—Tom Frieden, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
He has been charged with armed kidnapping, willful injury, domestic abuse assault with the intent to inflict serious injuries and obstruction of emergency communications, according to public court records.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 30 Sep. 2025
Klopp has praise for Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, who on Saturday inflicted a first defeat of the season on Klopp’s old Liverpool team.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
The tragedy was self- inflicted.
—Tom Frieden, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
He has been charged with armed kidnapping, willful injury, domestic abuse assault with the intent to inflict serious injuries and obstruction of emergency communications, according to public court records.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflict
Verb
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Combs begs for mercy Combs addressed the court before Judge Subramanian imposed his sentence, pleading for a second chance.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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Judge Arun Subramanian also requested the court impose five years of supervised release and for Diddy to pay a $500,000 fine.—
Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Department of Homeland Security has detained hundreds of TPS holders from Venezuela nationwide, creating confusion about how the protections are being applied.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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Democrats want to overturn spending cuts Republicans approved earlier in the year for Medicaid, which provides health insurance for Americans living in or near poverty, and extend insurance subsidies created by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The event comes as the government is careening toward a potential shutdown that could force some 2 million troops to work without pay if a spending bill doesn't pass Congress by midnight Wednesday.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
30 Sep. 2025
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Modern inkjets, including ink tank printers, will rarely force you to spend time cleaning with manual commands.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The lightweight and compact kit is easy to bring along while traveling or tuck away in a closet at home.—
Christine Persaud,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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This work, like the word ‘amalgam’ in the title, just brings it all together.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflict. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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