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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Recent Examples of inflicts
But Venugopal points out that the lab study couldn’t capture the onslaught of enzymes, teeth gritting, and temperature variation that a real human mouth inflicts.
—
Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
Corporate crime and wrongdoing—pollution, dangerous products, financial fraud and scams, unsafe workplaces, and more—inflicts far more damage on people than street crime, whether measured by dollars, injuries, or lives.
—Robert Weissman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
Corporate crime and wrongdoing—pollution, dangerous products, financial fraud and scams, unsafe workplaces, and more—inflicts far more damage on people than street crime, whether measured by dollars, injuries, or lives.
—Robert Weissman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicts
Verb
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Guns rights advocates — including politically powerful groups such as the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America — vowed to fight any proposal that imposes a blanket gun ban targeting a segment of the population.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
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At that wavelength, optics imposes a hard requirement.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Lambert has the blazing speed of a top-six forward — like Nikolaj Ehlers, whose offseason departure creates a hole in Winnipeg’s top six — while Salomonsson dominated in his best AHL games last season.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Using ripe Brown Turkey figs and room-temperature butter creates the best flavor and texture.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The first weekend of September brings no shortage of ways to get out of the house and enjoy North Texas.—
Tiffani Jackson Skinner,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
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But, Caring for Miami also brings the church to the people by offering to pray with clients who want to, and opening the doors of the church for anyone seeking community.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicts. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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