as in imposed
to cause someone to accept or experience something unwanted
The criminal inflicted a lifetime of distress on his unsuspecting victims.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inflicted
Someone inflicted head and neck trauma on Octavio Arias that proved fatal, according to the medical examiner’s findings.
—
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Jurors on Tuesday also found true the allegations that Moore intentionally discharged a firearm causing death, personally used a firearm and inflicted great bodily injury in the shootings.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The concept of intersectionality, introduced by the law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, reveals the particularly acute harms inflicted on groups that are at the intersection of multiple oppressions.
—Literary Hub, 30 Jan. 2026
An autopsy conducted by the DuPage County Coroner found roughly 70 stab wounds on Morales, most inflicted by a knife.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that drones accounted for 80 percent of damage inflicted on Russian forces in 2025.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
In June, after Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, the Islamic Republic retaliated by firing wave after wave of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel that inflicted damage by bypassing Israel’s sophisticated air defenses.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
Speaking on Capitol Hill alongside Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican representative Laurel Lee, Hilton described the trauma inflicted by having her private intimate video shared around the world in 2004.
—Hannah Shewan Stevens, Glamour, 23 Jan. 2026
Animation, blurry recreations, and, eventually, video footage are used to illustrate the violence inflicted upon Rushdie in August 2022.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Jurors on Tuesday also found true the allegations that Moore intentionally discharged a firearm causing death, personally used a firearm and inflicted great bodily injury in the shootings.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The concept of intersectionality, introduced by the law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, reveals the particularly acute harms inflicted on groups that are at the intersection of multiple oppressions.
—Literary Hub, 30 Jan. 2026
An autopsy conducted by the DuPage County Coroner found roughly 70 stab wounds on Morales, most inflicted by a knife.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that drones accounted for 80 percent of damage inflicted on Russian forces in 2025.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
In June, after Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, the Islamic Republic retaliated by firing wave after wave of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel that inflicted damage by bypassing Israel’s sophisticated air defenses.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
Speaking on Capitol Hill alongside Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican representative Laurel Lee, Hilton described the trauma inflicted by having her private intimate video shared around the world in 2004.
—Hannah Shewan Stevens, Glamour, 23 Jan. 2026
Animation, blurry recreations, and, eventually, video footage are used to illustrate the violence inflicted upon Rushdie in August 2022.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicted
Verb
-
People were worn down by the waiting patterns imposed upon them by the state; in this film, the couple opts to break free through artistic expression, and mounting a new, dissident work.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Losses were imposed on non-tech companies too, as investors became paranoid about how much damage AI might inflict upon sectors like trucking, real estate, and finance.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Romero created trouble for himself by trying to turn on the ball with his backheel just outside the penalty area while under pressure from Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
See our gallery created by Courier Journal photographers Michael Clevenger and Scott Utterback.—
Stephanie Stremplewski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The defense forced three turnovers, Jason Myers kicked a Super Bowl-record five field goals, and running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards to earn most valuable player as the Seahawks finished the season with 10 consecutive victories.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Anutin has been prime minister only since last September, after serving in the Cabinet of his immediate predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was forced out of office for an ethics violation regarding mishandling relations with Cambodia.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
On Wednesday, the Nets agreed to a multi-team deal with the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors that sent Chris Paul to Toronto and brought Ochai Agbaji, a 2032 Raptors second-round pick and cash considerations to Brooklyn.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
With the help of interior decorator Poplak, Diana brought a bright high-English style to her three-story marital home.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicted. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
