as in imposes
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 inflicts
Instead of providing convenience, services and consumption, the regime only inflicts repression, intrusion and censorship.
—
Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Boiling water acts as a contact herbicide that inflicts thermal shock on the weeds' plant cells.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
These arrests also take officers off the streets for hours to process these arrests, which inflicts a financial toll on the CPD’s overtime budget.
—Silvana Tabares, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
There is also a growing body of credible evidence showing how EdTech inflicts emotional, cognitive, physical, and developmental harms on children, adolescents, and young adults, while displacing the human relationships that are essential to healthy human development and well-being.
—Dr. Timothy Scott, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
The focus here is squarely on her mother, another survivor who inflicts her own share of damage along the way.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Scott inflicts Ohm’s nonchalant meanness with a piercingly perverse matter-of-factness that places the character as far away as possible from the realm of likeability.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
On the one hand, the damage that Israel inflicts in the coming days and weeks will further weaken Hezbollah and increase the chances of successful disarmament.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
If a minor fires the gun and inflicts harm on themselves or another individual, the person who failed to store the gun properly could face a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $7,500, or both.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Boiling water acts as a contact herbicide that inflicts thermal shock on the weeds' plant cells.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
These arrests also take officers off the streets for hours to process these arrests, which inflicts a financial toll on the CPD’s overtime budget.
—Silvana Tabares, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
There is also a growing body of credible evidence showing how EdTech inflicts emotional, cognitive, physical, and developmental harms on children, adolescents, and young adults, while displacing the human relationships that are essential to healthy human development and well-being.
—Dr. Timothy Scott, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
The focus here is squarely on her mother, another survivor who inflicts her own share of damage along the way.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Scott inflicts Ohm’s nonchalant meanness with a piercingly perverse matter-of-factness that places the character as far away as possible from the realm of likeability.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
On the one hand, the damage that Israel inflicts in the coming days and weeks will further weaken Hezbollah and increase the chances of successful disarmament.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
If a minor fires the gun and inflicts harm on themselves or another individual, the person who failed to store the gun properly could face a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $7,500, or both.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicts
Verb
-
Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that still imposes an inheritance tax–a tax on transfers from a person who has died to the people who inherit, with rates based on the category of recipient.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
New legislation imposes compliance costs, whereas simple interpretive guidance provides clarity.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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This creates true David-versus-Goliath scenarios, matches between the best teams in the world and those on the very fringes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Scott Ellis creates these incredibly warm, playful rooms where a small group of people can really come together and tell a story.—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Din initially brings Grogu to the Client and retrieves his reward, only to have a change of heart.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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In addition to drug experiments, Varda also brings various defense experiment payloads on its spaceflights for the Pentagon to help defray the cost, Reilly says.—
Ramin Skibba,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflicts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicts. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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