as in imposed
to cause someone to accept or experience something unwanted
The criminal inflicted a lifetime of distress on his unsuspecting victims.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inflicted
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
An autopsy conducted by the DuPage County Coroner found roughly 70 stab wounds on Morales, most inflicted by a knife.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that drones accounted for 80 percent of damage inflicted on Russian forces in 2025.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
In June, after Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, the Islamic Republic retaliated by firing wave after wave of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel that inflicted damage by bypassing Israel’s sophisticated air defenses.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
Speaking on Capitol Hill alongside Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican representative Laurel Lee, Hilton described the trauma inflicted by having her private intimate video shared around the world in 2004.
—Hannah Shewan Stevens, Glamour, 23 Jan. 2026
Animation, blurry recreations, and, eventually, video footage are used to illustrate the violence inflicted upon Rushdie in August 2022.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Trump’s remarks Wednesday, suddenly retreating from his threat of military force, could mitigate some of the damage inflicted on Washington’s most cherished relationships.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Ironically, the novel suggests, being raised in an atmosphere of intractable silence has likely inflicted greater damage on April than anything her family could have revealed.
—Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 30 Jan. 2026
An autopsy conducted by the DuPage County Coroner found roughly 70 stab wounds on Morales, most inflicted by a knife.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that drones accounted for 80 percent of damage inflicted on Russian forces in 2025.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
In June, after Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, the Islamic Republic retaliated by firing wave after wave of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel that inflicted damage by bypassing Israel’s sophisticated air defenses.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
Speaking on Capitol Hill alongside Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican representative Laurel Lee, Hilton described the trauma inflicted by having her private intimate video shared around the world in 2004.
—Hannah Shewan Stevens, Glamour, 23 Jan. 2026
Animation, blurry recreations, and, eventually, video footage are used to illustrate the violence inflicted upon Rushdie in August 2022.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Trump’s remarks Wednesday, suddenly retreating from his threat of military force, could mitigate some of the damage inflicted on Washington’s most cherished relationships.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Ironically, the novel suggests, being raised in an atmosphere of intractable silence has likely inflicted greater damage on April than anything her family could have revealed.
—Ruth Madievsky, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicted
Verb
-
With the benefit of hindsight, analysts and investors have blamed much of Kraft Heinz’s downward spiral on the brutal cost-cutting strategy imposed after the merger.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has since largely overhauled GOP dogma by pushing for massive hikes in import taxes, having unilaterally imposed them last year by declaring an economic emergency.—
Josh Boak,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The call created controversy among fans.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath hit back hard, telling Bass on X that the county created the new agency because the existing one — which is partly overseen by Bass appointees — was incapable of tracking its spending.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With temperatures climbing above freezing and sunny skies melting half the structure, they were forced to start over entirely.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Twenty-two people — two civilians and 20 firefighters — were injured and thousands were forced to evacuate.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Starmer has brought a delegation of nearly 60 British business executives and organization leaders on this trip.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Another lawsuit brought by detainees in federal court in Fort Myers argued that immigration was a federal issue, and Florida agencies and private contractors hired by the state had no authority to operate the facility under federal law.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicted. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
