as in imposed
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 inflicted
Hitler had inflicted countless economic wounds on his country over his five years as chancellor, and this foray into the Arctic was part of a broader effort to remedy one of them.
—
Timothy W. Ryback, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
Becket uses this time to take the guy through his entire life story (with some sizable, murder-free jumps notably missing), most of it hinging on that essential wound inflicted on him before he was born.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
All the pain McCarthy had inflicted on people surfaced.
—Kristen Monroe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Rolling Hills Prep inflicted a loss to Orange Lutheran last week.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Çatak’s focus, all the while, remains on the intimate outcomes of this dynamic, and the way government mechanics are weaponized and inflicted in personal ways.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
The dueling Democrats have made fighting ICE and the terror it’s inflicted on immigrant New Yorkers central to their campaigns.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2026
Jurors on Tuesday also found true the allegations that Moore intentionally discharged a firearm causing death, personally used a firearm and inflicted great bodily injury in the shootings.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The concept of intersectionality, introduced by the law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, reveals the particularly acute harms inflicted on groups that are at the intersection of multiple oppressions.
—Literary Hub, 30 Jan. 2026
Timothy W. Ryback, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
Becket uses this time to take the guy through his entire life story (with some sizable, murder-free jumps notably missing), most of it hinging on that essential wound inflicted on him before he was born.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
All the pain McCarthy had inflicted on people surfaced.
—Kristen Monroe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Rolling Hills Prep inflicted a loss to Orange Lutheran last week.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Çatak’s focus, all the while, remains on the intimate outcomes of this dynamic, and the way government mechanics are weaponized and inflicted in personal ways.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
The dueling Democrats have made fighting ICE and the terror it’s inflicted on immigrant New Yorkers central to their campaigns.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2026
Jurors on Tuesday also found true the allegations that Moore intentionally discharged a firearm causing death, personally used a firearm and inflicted great bodily injury in the shootings.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The concept of intersectionality, introduced by the law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, reveals the particularly acute harms inflicted on groups that are at the intersection of multiple oppressions.
—Literary Hub, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicted
Verb
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While their bodies still experience gravity, being unable to walk or, in some cases, even move their lower body reduces the amount of force imposed on their bones, especially the bones in the limbs and back.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The 37-year prison sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman last week in federal court in Chicago.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Game and Fish Commission created the structures from hundreds of invasive red cedars cut from Lake Ouachita's shoreline.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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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This week has been a little different, with Arsenal’s game at Wolves brought forward to Wednesday night to avoid a clash with next month’s Carabao Cup final.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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On Thursday, Mexican officials said there is currently no indication that the 84-year-old was brought into Mexico.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicted. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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