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
Retail leverage has dried up, and past collapses — from Terra to FTX — failed to infect traditional markets.
—
Bloomberg, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
Southern California public health officials are warning residents to watch for measles symptoms after travelers infected with the contagious virus visited Disneyland, the Los Angeles International Airport and other places in the region in recent days.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Public health officials in Northern California are investigating a tuberculosis outbreak, identifying more than 50 cases at a private Catholic high school and ordering those who are infected to stay home.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Measles outbreaks nationwide The South Carolina Department of Public Health reported Tuesday that another 29 people have been infected in the last few days, with 354 still in quarantine.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for infect
Bloomberg, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
Southern California public health officials are warning residents to watch for measles symptoms after travelers infected with the contagious virus visited Disneyland, the Los Angeles International Airport and other places in the region in recent days.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
Public health officials in Northern California are investigating a tuberculosis outbreak, identifying more than 50 cases at a private Catholic high school and ordering those who are infected to stay home.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Measles outbreaks nationwide The South Carolina Department of Public Health reported Tuesday that another 29 people have been infected in the last few days, with 354 still in quarantine.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for infect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infect
Verb
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He was also sanctioned by the European Union in January 2019 following a nerve agent attack in Salisbury, England, which the British government said was carried out by GRU agents to poison a former Russian spy.—
CNN's Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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Children have been among those poisoned this year.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With this, Fennell immediately seems to be leaning into the death cult surrounding the Brontë sisters, who all died young (allegedly from drinking contaminated graveyard water).—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Unwashed Leafy Greens While all produce can become contaminated with harmful germs, leafy greens are especially susceptible.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That made kid gloves the perfect choice for a servant handling fine silverware, where even a fingerprint could spoil the dinner presentation.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Clippers tried to spoil the party, but Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets rode the good vibes of his return across the finish line.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ace Austin, who was fouled by Ware prior to the technical, made 1 of 2 free throws before Salese Blow sank two for the technical and the Aggies led 67-65.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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Queta fouled Robinson away from the ball on the next Knicks possession.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infect. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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