as in virus
an abnormal state caused by contact with harmful organisms (such as bacteria or viruses)
There is a viral infection spreading among the schoolchildren.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of infection
Case numbers seesawed in the following years before reaching an all-time low in 2021, when Pakistan recorded only one infection
Although cases have fluctuated in the past, experts say last year's increase was particularly alarming.
—
Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025
Beyond being amused, I was struck by the morbid salience of a children’s game that mimics infection at a time when vaccine skepticism is on the rise and an outbreak of a non-pretend disease, measles, is threatening the lives of children in the Southwest.
—Bruce Handy, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
Before the anthrax infection, Virunga National Park had already seen a significant decline in its population.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
But inhaling enough can turn the act of breathing into an existential hazard, prompting or worsening asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, and permanent lung damage.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infection
Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025
Beyond being amused, I was struck by the morbid salience of a children’s game that mimics infection at a time when vaccine skepticism is on the rise and an outbreak of a non-pretend disease, measles, is threatening the lives of children in the Southwest.
—Bruce Handy, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
Before the anthrax infection, Virunga National Park had already seen a significant decline in its population.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
But inhaling enough can turn the act of breathing into an existential hazard, prompting or worsening asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, and permanent lung damage.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infection
Noun
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Cases have also been reported in areas where the virus has not been historically located, such as the coffee-growing Caldas region, according to the president’s office.—
Fernando Ramos and Sanika Tank,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, about 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus will get measles.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Hoppus' fear of germs intensified amid his fallout with Tom DeLonge and after Travis Barker's plane crash in 2008, which also killed his friend.—
Ilana Kaplan,
People.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Lab studies have also found peppermint to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties, which may help keep harmful germs at bay.13 7.—
Jamie Johnson,
Verywell Health,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infection. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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