How to Use afflict in a Sentence

afflict

verb
  • The disease afflicts an estimated two million people every year.
  • In other words, a sort of onanism of the soul afflicts him.
    — Hermione Hoby, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
  • One in four would be afflicted with the disease.
    — Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
  • The polio she was afflicted with as a child leaving her with a limp.
    — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Motion sickness afflicts one in three adults and one in two children.
    — Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
  • But all hope is not lost for the mosquito-afflicted.
    — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
  • Which pathogens afflicted Napoleon’s army?
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Those who aren’t afflicted by the syndrome might think dark thoughts, but they are kept buttoned up.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Osula is out with a foot injury which has been afflicting him for most of the season.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Misery offers at best some comfort to the afflicted.
    — Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • But each was, in his own way, hopelessly afflicted by idealism.
    — Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025
  • At least 30 deaths were reported in states afflicted with severe cold.
    — Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Lupus, which afflicts some five million people worldwide, is a leading cause of death among young women.
    — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
  • These men have arrived here on a wave of isolation that’s swept the country since the pandemic and afflicts boys and men of all ages.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
  • For instance, if your potatoes and tomatoes are afflicted with black spot, don't plant your rose in the vegetable garden.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 May 2026
  • Peach leaf curl, brown rot, powdery mildew, peach scab, and other diseases also commonly afflict the tree.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 10 Mar. 2026
  • These are important messages for a world afflicted by war and division.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Whether the winner’s curse afflicts buyers in other countries remains an open question.
    — Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • But Thomas was afflicted by health troubles on the 26-56 Nets last year.
    — Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Inspect your trees regularly for signs of disease, such as the fungal problems that afflict some trees.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
  • And at least 50 people had been reported dead in states afflicted by the dangerous cold.
    — Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
  • By 1950 half a million people worldwide were afflicted each year.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
  • At least 50 people had been reported dead in states afflicted by the dangerous cold.
    — Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Gene-drive technology might be able to make wildlife less likely to spread diseases such as the one afflicting the rabbits, or malaria.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
  • The Lakers were down LeBron James, afflicted by nerve pain.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
  • In some English translations the afflicting insects are lice.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The risk and harms of AMD increase after age 65, but bright lights afflict younger people, too.
    — Matt Fuchs, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
  • In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.
    — Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
  • They are both afflicted by cognitive and/or hearing issues.
    — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026
  • In a dense, lush lawn of a grass type that does well in your climate, weeds are less likely to take hold than in a sparse, struggling lawn afflicted by drought, pests, and diseases.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 21 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afflict.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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