as in imposing
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 inflicting
Any mission would likely first focus on opening the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a fifth of seaborne global oil flowed before the war but which has now slowed to a trickle, inflicting the biggest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.
—
Patrick Sykes, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the strait.
—David McHugh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The regime has proved more resilient and more capable of inflicting sustained damage on the region than the president expected.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
What a sad endless cycle of innocent teachers inflicting damage upon innocent students.
—Dan Rockmore, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Forhan, who was the initial victim of the robbery, has been charged with firing a missile into a building and culpable negligence for inflicting harm.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
The war has been almost as one-sided as the war in Iran, with the more technologically advanced Pakistani army inflicting several times more casualties against the struggling Taliban.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Solomon faces charges of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2026
Patrick Sykes, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the strait.
—David McHugh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The regime has proved more resilient and more capable of inflicting sustained damage on the region than the president expected.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
What a sad endless cycle of innocent teachers inflicting damage upon innocent students.
—Dan Rockmore, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Forhan, who was the initial victim of the robbery, has been charged with firing a missile into a building and culpable negligence for inflicting harm.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
The war has been almost as one-sided as the war in Iran, with the more technologically advanced Pakistani army inflicting several times more casualties against the struggling Taliban.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Solomon faces charges of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicting
Verb
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The city agreed, reducing maximum e-bike speeds to 15 mph on city trails, prohibiting e-bikes on sidewalks and imposing penalties.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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But Trump’s election proved that a sizable contingent of the population had no problem imposing their values on others—and even hoped that the government might do so for them.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On the Island of the Gods, fresh ideas arrive like waves, creating a glorious cocktail of cultures and influences.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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One recalled how their oldest child once pushed an unplugged vacuum cleaner across the living room, carefully creating vacuum lines without actually cleaning anything.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Heat did it by sitting in its zone defense for most of the night, slowing the 76ers and forcing them into 17 non-paint two-point shots.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
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The decision drew immediate fire from El-Sayed's primary opponents and national Democratic figures, forcing a rare public reckoning over how far the party should go to recapture young men who abandoned it in record numbers in 2024.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another cold front will push through the area on Easter Sunday, bringing rain and much cooler temperatures than Saturday.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Cleaver, for his part, has also been hailed for bringing money back to Kansas City.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflicting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicting. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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