as in to poison
to pass something harmful (such as a disease) to someone or something else
If you come to work when you're sick, you'll infect everyone in the office.
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Recent Examples of infect
About 1 in 5 people infected by the bacteria die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet.
—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
The Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or treatment, has infected around 1,300 people and killed more than 300 in the country since an outbreak was declared on May 15.
—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms, but about one in five experience fever, headaches, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash.
—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2026
Less than 1% of those infected with the virus can develop severe illness.
—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for infect
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
The Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or treatment, has infected around 1,300 people and killed more than 300 in the country since an outbreak was declared on May 15.
—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms, but about one in five experience fever, headaches, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash.
—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2026
Less than 1% of those infected with the virus can develop severe illness.
—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for infect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infect
Verb
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The special bond between Supergirl and her scruffy animal sidekick becomes a key plot point in Kara’s new solo movie, where Krypto is poisoned by space outlaw Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
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Kara Zor-El (Alcock) goes on a planet-hopping mission to save her beloved Krypto – with young and vengeful girl Ruthye (Eve Ridley) in tow – after he’s poisoned by the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
Verb
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Intestinal infections, which caused severe diarrhea and dehydration, were common in 1776 because of poor sanitation and contaminated food and water, especially in military camps, per NIH and NLM.
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It is caused by eating or drinking food contaminated with either bacteria, viruses, parasites or a harmful toxin.
Verb
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Whether they're getting greased after a Super Bowl or spoiling All-Star rosters, does any city's poles get as much attention as Philadelphia's?
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Both suet and hummingbird nectar are very susceptible to spoiling from the heat.
Verb
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The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the second, and after fouling off several Chandler pitches, Crawford took another late swipe and managed to hit one down the third base line off the end of the bat.
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Joe Mazzulla resorted to fouling the big man with the hopes that Tom Thibodeau would take him out of the game.
Cite this Entry
“Infect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infect. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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