as in imposing
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 inflicting
Any mission would likely first focus on opening the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a fifth of seaborne global oil flowed before the war but which has now slowed to a trickle, inflicting the biggest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.
—
Patrick Sykes, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the strait.
—David McHugh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The regime has proved more resilient and more capable of inflicting sustained damage on the region than the president expected.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
What a sad endless cycle of innocent teachers inflicting damage upon innocent students.
—Dan Rockmore, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Forhan, who was the initial victim of the robbery, has been charged with firing a missile into a building and culpable negligence for inflicting harm.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
The war has been almost as one-sided as the war in Iran, with the more technologically advanced Pakistani army inflicting several times more casualties against the struggling Taliban.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Solomon faces charges of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2026
Patrick Sykes, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the strait.
—David McHugh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The regime has proved more resilient and more capable of inflicting sustained damage on the region than the president expected.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
What a sad endless cycle of innocent teachers inflicting damage upon innocent students.
—Dan Rockmore, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Forhan, who was the initial victim of the robbery, has been charged with firing a missile into a building and culpable negligence for inflicting harm.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
The war has been almost as one-sided as the war in Iran, with the more technologically advanced Pakistani army inflicting several times more casualties against the struggling Taliban.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Solomon faces charges of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicting
Verb
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One bill advancing in the statehouse would prohibit a city or county in Illinois from imposing a tax on businesses calculated based on their number of employees — also known as a head tax.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Washington State began imposing such taxes at the start of this year.—
Bautista Vivanco,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Folk music à la Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen plays on repeat, creating a chill vibe for a crowd of regulars (many of who come twice a day).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
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The space was designed by her and her mother, Sabeen Khaliq, with the goal of creating tranquility.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For small trucking companies, the increases are forcing difficult decisions.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Instead of viewing constraints as blockers (budget, time, market conditions), treat them as forcing functions that sharpen decision-making.—
Lisa Song Sutton,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Check mail and packages for bugs before bringing them inside.—
Hali Smith
April 8,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Apr. 2026
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The real action happens outside of the courtroom—at the Cairo Club, or the bar at the Lafayette Hotel, or F&M Patio Bar—where the heat and the music and the drinks have a way of bringing Lemann back to herself.—
Brandy Jensen,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflicting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicting. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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