as in imposed
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 inflicted
Chambers’ defense attorney, Abram Genser, argued any injuries Chambers may have inflicted were not life-threatening, and Dadkhah died instead of a brain bleed caused by excessive methamphetamine use.
—
City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025
This is not just the violence of batons or bullets, but the quieter devastation inflicted by law through denial, deferral or bureaucratic neglect.
—Hansel Alejandro Aguilar, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
But most people, when presented with images of immense and deliberately inflicted human suffering, have a human response.
—Jack Sheehan
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
The trade of Parsons certainly inflicted some anguish on Cowboys fans who have been longing for the franchise to at least get back to the NFC Championship Game.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The film culminates with an escalating parade of pain inflicted on Marv and Harry, and John deftly varied the pace and intensity of his cartooning — with heavy use of pizzicato strings, triangle, and legato bass clarinets — to match the progression.
—Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Usually these harms were inflicted by a caregiver – a parent, stepparent, grandparent or other guardian.
—Laura Schwab Reese, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025
The irreparable damage inflicted on Americans and other peaceful individuals will be a stain in this great country’s history and must cease immediately.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
The attacks have certainly inflicted major damage to the country’s nuclear program.
—Robert J. Einhorn, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2025
City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025
This is not just the violence of batons or bullets, but the quieter devastation inflicted by law through denial, deferral or bureaucratic neglect.
—Hansel Alejandro Aguilar, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
But most people, when presented with images of immense and deliberately inflicted human suffering, have a human response.
—Jack Sheehan
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
The trade of Parsons certainly inflicted some anguish on Cowboys fans who have been longing for the franchise to at least get back to the NFC Championship Game.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The film culminates with an escalating parade of pain inflicted on Marv and Harry, and John deftly varied the pace and intensity of his cartooning — with heavy use of pizzicato strings, triangle, and legato bass clarinets — to match the progression.
—Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Usually these harms were inflicted by a caregiver – a parent, stepparent, grandparent or other guardian.
—Laura Schwab Reese, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025
The irreparable damage inflicted on Americans and other peaceful individuals will be a stain in this great country’s history and must cease immediately.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
The attacks have certainly inflicted major damage to the country’s nuclear program.
—Robert J. Einhorn, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicted
Verb
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Young Palestinians, particularly those under age 5, are especially vulnerable in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has imposed restrictions on the entry of aid throughout the war, at times shutting crossings entirely.—
Pablo Robles,
New York Times,
14 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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Combined, these economic and political pressures created fertile ground for social mobilization.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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Nothing about disabled people should be created without disabled people and this principle becomes even more critical when dealing with AI systems that can perpetuate or challenge existing biases.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead, Syed was forced out this summer despite two decades of experience in counterterrorism and cyber operations.—
Naomi Lim,
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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Judge Arthur Engoron issued the ruling on Tuesday to settle the lawsuit brought by Robert Costello, a lawyer from the firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, according to the Associated Press.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
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After more than a decade of proxy battles, 2022 brought a surprising truce when Cracker Barrel and Biglari entered into a Nomination and Cooperation Agreement.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicted. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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