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 That’s because of the massive opportunity cost such dollarless drudgery inflicts. — New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026 The betrayal Murray inflicts on Tremblay’s Kaczynski is compelling, even as the film presses it into service as an explanation for every horror that followed. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026 The more suffering Russia inflicts on Ukrainian civilians, the more Europe invests in Ukraine’s defense and its own. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 If a deepfake inflicts commercial damage or misleads consumers, businesses can pursue civil claims for defamation or false light, alongside federal trademark suits under the Lanham Act. — Allyson Kapin, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 In the end, the young cockroaches proved so resilient because Modi’s regime of control had no punishment or humiliation to threaten them with beyond what the system already inflicts on them every day. — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026 The media usually get Black femicide wrong Another problem surrounding intimate partner homicide inflicts its harms after death. — Sativa Banks, The Conversation, 4 June 2026 Instead of providing convenience, services and consumption, the regime only inflicts repression, intrusion and censorship. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026 Boiling water acts as a contact herbicide that inflicts thermal shock on the weeds' plant cells. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicts
  1. imposes
  2. creates
  3. brings
Verb
  • Florida law imposes disclosure requirements concerning certain potential conflicts, and directors should disclose relevant financial or personal interests before the board considers any related transactions or decisions.
    — Gary M. Mars, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But the law itself imposes many limitations on suing the federal government.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of imposes
Verb
  • To see how this spread creates randomness throughout the world, consider an ordinary coin-flip experiment again.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Republican president signed an executive order that creates a new women’s health division at the National Institutes of Health and a White House task force to focus on the issue.
    — Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of creates
Verb
  • Silverstein said the deal helps the other tenants too, because a Spirit brings shoppers to a shopping center that would otherwise have a dark storefront.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The most sobering reality check on Beirut City Pop brings the conflict into stark relief.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of brings

Browse Nearby Words

inflicting
inflicts
inflow
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Cite this Entry

“Inflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicts. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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