as in to impose
to cause someone to accept or experience something unwanted
The criminal inflicted a lifetime of distress on his unsuspecting victims.
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Recent Examples of inflict
Behavioral Economics Of Loss Aversion Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky’s prospect theory revolutionized our understanding of why losses—like a sports team’s heartbreaking defeat—inflict disproportionate pain.
—
Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Rico Lewis had endured a torrid time at right-back in City’s 2-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur, and the following weekend, Matheus Nunes gave away the penalty that saw Brighton & Hove Albion come from behind to inflict a second consecutive defeat on Pep Guardiola’s side.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Israel has also essentially normalized direct strikes inside Iran’s borders and demonstrated its ability to inflict significant damage to the regime.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
But that's not what AI boosters keep talking about, and AI hype is inflicting real-world consequences.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Rico Lewis had endured a torrid time at right-back in City’s 2-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur, and the following weekend, Matheus Nunes gave away the penalty that saw Brighton & Hove Albion come from behind to inflict a second consecutive defeat on Pep Guardiola’s side.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Israel has also essentially normalized direct strikes inside Iran’s borders and demonstrated its ability to inflict significant damage to the regime.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
But that's not what AI boosters keep talking about, and AI hype is inflicting real-world consequences.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflict
Verb
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Cities would also generally be prevented from imposing height and density limits based on how close a development is near a transit stop.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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In fact, there’s already a battle in Los Angeles over the $30 wage for workers at hotels and other hospitality businesses imposed by the city council.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the respiratory virus season arrives, some still worry that so many statements and counter-statements about vaccines will ultimately create a chilling effect.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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These confrontations positioned Kirk as accessible and confident in his polarizing beliefs and created a sense of intellectual challenge that appealed to competitive young students.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Kuomintang, or KMT, also known as the Nationalist Party of China, is the party formerly led by Chiang Kai-shek that ruled the entirety of the Republic of China before Mao Zedong’s communist military forced it to flee to Taiwan.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
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The show also featured a number of first-time nominees and first-time winners like Tramell Tillman, Jeff Hiller, Hannah Einbinder, and Owen Cooper, all of whom were been forced to amend their moment in the spotlight to adhere to the joke.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Twins then intentionally walked Kyle Manzardo to face Naylor, who, after Ramírez and Manzardo stole third and second base respectively, brought them both home.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
20 Sep. 2025
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The slough, which can be seen from the BART pedestrian bridge that brings event attendees into the Coliseum grounds, also receives runoff from the Arroyo Viejo and Lion creeks, a pair of urban streams known for their pollution.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflict. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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