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
Symptoms of disease While around 25% of people have likely been infected with the TB bacteria, about 5% to 10% will go on to develop active disease, according to health agencies.
—
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Later, Bey worried her C-section scar might be infected.
—Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, spreading easily through air droplets, liable to infect up to 90% of unvaccinated people nearby.
—Katie Silver, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
To pursue that work, Sassetti’s NIH grant paid for collecting blood samples from people in Lima, Peru — who carry a unique immune gene — and then infecting their cells with TB in the lab.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for infect
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Later, Bey worried her C-section scar might be infected.
—Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, spreading easily through air droplets, liable to infect up to 90% of unvaccinated people nearby.
—Katie Silver, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
To pursue that work, Sassetti’s NIH grant paid for collecting blood samples from people in Lima, Peru — who carry a unique immune gene — and then infecting their cells with TB in the lab.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for infect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infect
Verb
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The second is a 100-day sludge line that will poison the reserves oil-hungry nations are racing to drain.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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But would someone go so far as to poison a tree to keep the view open?—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the early 1990s, what is now Atlantic Station was Atlantic Steel, an all but abandoned 138-acre industrial site so contaminated it was designated a brownfield by the federal government.—
Jay Bookman,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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For example, milk can be contaminated by manure or environmental filth, infections of the udder such as mastitis or from surfaces during the milking process.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Russo places a few dry paper towels in the bag to absorb excess moisture and prevent spoiling.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
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Choosing among loud, louder and loudest shirts, then contemplating whether to go with jorts or florts (don’t ask) and selecting the appropriate socks and crocs, Black finally is ready to go until Sarah Sherman shows up to spoil things.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With Duke playing keep-away to prevent the Huskies from fouling, Cayden Boozer’s pass near midcourt was deflected, and after UConn came up with the ball, Demary made a shot from well behind the 3-point line.—
Noah Trister,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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After Tatis fouled off the next pitch, Flaherty did what a lot of pitchers will do to Tatis and tempted him with a slider that broke low and outside the zone.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infect. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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