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
Who’s going to inflict a loss on Huntington Beach junior Jared Grindlinger?
—
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
In 2007, the philosopher Robert Sparrow argued that such weapons violate the just-war principle, that when harm is inflicted, someone must be answerable for the decision to inflict it.
—Deb Roy, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
The officers, masked and kitted out with military-grade armor and rifles, have faced down peaceful protesters and people who have threatened, obstructed or attacked them, with methods that are less deadly than guns but still inflict grievous injuries.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 15 Feb. 2026
Losses were imposed on non-tech companies too, as investors became paranoid about how much damage AI might inflict upon sectors like trucking, real estate, and finance.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
In 2007, the philosopher Robert Sparrow argued that such weapons violate the just-war principle, that when harm is inflicted, someone must be answerable for the decision to inflict it.
—Deb Roy, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2026
The officers, masked and kitted out with military-grade armor and rifles, have faced down peaceful protesters and people who have threatened, obstructed or attacked them, with methods that are less deadly than guns but still inflict grievous injuries.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 15 Feb. 2026
Losses were imposed on non-tech companies too, as investors became paranoid about how much damage AI might inflict upon sectors like trucking, real estate, and finance.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflict
Verb
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Among the documents is an email exchange from 2009 in which Mandelson appears to discuss Britain’s plans to impose an additional tax on bankers’ bonuses as a punitive, one-off measure following the crash.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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While courts last imposed a death sentence in 2016, South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Armchair analysis fills the space that is created by the absence of available facts.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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Another measure, House Bill 1645, would create state versions of FEMA programs as Mississippi officials prepare for reduced federal disaster support.—
ALEX ROZIER Mississippi Today,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then a week later, Heraskevych received a wave of sympathetic support when he was forced out of the skeleton for refusing to compete without a helmet adorned with more than 20 elite Ukrainian athletes and coaches who have been killed in the war.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a game-ending 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36 after Edwards forced OT.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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McCarthy warned that being too quick to bring untested criminal cases against political adversaries risks damaging institutional legitimacy regardless of which party is in power.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
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The government brought forward major reforms and bans on assault-style weapons after the country suffered its worst-ever shooting attack in 2020, when a man impersonating a police officer killed 22 people in northern Nova Scotia.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflict. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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