Thesaurus results for INFLICTS

inflicts

verb

present tense third-person singular of inflict

as in imposes

to cause someone to accept or experience something unwanted The criminal inflicted a lifetime of distress on his unsuspecting victims.

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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 inflicts The focus here is squarely on her mother, another survivor who inflicts her own share of damage along the way. —

Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026 Scott inflicts Ohm’s nonchalant meanness with a piercingly perverse matter-of-factness that places the character as far away as possible from the realm of likeability. —

Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026 On the one hand, the damage that Israel inflicts in the coming days and weeks will further weaken Hezbollah and increase the chances of successful disarmament. —

Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026 If a minor fires the gun and inflicts harm on themselves or another individual, the person who failed to store the gun properly could face a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $7,500, or both. —

Paula Wethington, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026 Only if the Pac-12 collects three or four NCAA Tournament bids on a regular basis and a team not named Gonzaga or San Diego State inflicts damage in March Madness. —

Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026 Leadership that dismisses or undermines inclusion inflicts real harm on students, faculty, and staff. —

Wanda James, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026 The virus inflicts acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach or intestines — on people of all ages in the United States, the CDC said. —

Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 15 Dec. 2025 The costume designer adds that those subtle perforations become deeper cuts only when Will begins to doubt his own abilities as a father, and inflicts damage of his own. —

Elaina Patton, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicts

Verb

However, this method imposes strict physical limits on size and power consumption, making further miniaturisation difficult.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
That increases costs and imposes time delays for mine developers – and means consumers will have to wait longer, and pay more, for copper-intensive products and services.

— Adam Charles Simon, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026