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
The standoff at the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the US — Baghdad’s two dominant external power brokers — has already inflicted serious damage on Iraq.
—
Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Agustín, an elderly man who lived on the streets and had mental health problems, died in February from burns inflicted by an 18-year-old who was later arrested.
—Sarah Moreno
updated April 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Iran inflicted severe damage on at least five major UAE facilities, including a drone strike that ignited fires at Ruwais, one of the world’s largest refineries, and another at the key Port of Fujairah oil export hub.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
The play, a British import by Mark Rosenblatt set in the summer of 1983, focuses on a moment of crisis that Dahl has inflicted on himself.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Most of the suits allege that extensive use of the technology has inflicted a range of harms on children and adults alike, fostering delusions and despair for some and leading others to death by suicide and even murder-suicide.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The government says the hardship is the consequence of an unjust war inflicted on Iranians by the US and Israel.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Kolkata spinners Varun Chakravarthy (2-33) and Sunil Narine (1-23) choked the scoring, while pacers Vaibhav Arora (2-24) and Kartik Tyagi (1-41) also inflicted damage.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
For Iran, long-term pain inflicted upon it – such as recent strikes on civilian infrastructure and its industrial base – will foster the same pain for the Gulf, region, and world.
—Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Agustín, an elderly man who lived on the streets and had mental health problems, died in February from burns inflicted by an 18-year-old who was later arrested.
—Sarah Moreno
updated April 29, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Iran inflicted severe damage on at least five major UAE facilities, including a drone strike that ignited fires at Ruwais, one of the world’s largest refineries, and another at the key Port of Fujairah oil export hub.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
The play, a British import by Mark Rosenblatt set in the summer of 1983, focuses on a moment of crisis that Dahl has inflicted on himself.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Most of the suits allege that extensive use of the technology has inflicted a range of harms on children and adults alike, fostering delusions and despair for some and leading others to death by suicide and even murder-suicide.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
The government says the hardship is the consequence of an unjust war inflicted on Iranians by the US and Israel.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Kolkata spinners Varun Chakravarthy (2-33) and Sunil Narine (1-23) choked the scoring, while pacers Vaibhav Arora (2-24) and Kartik Tyagi (1-41) also inflicted damage.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
For Iran, long-term pain inflicted upon it – such as recent strikes on civilian infrastructure and its industrial base – will foster the same pain for the Gulf, region, and world.
—Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicted
Verb
-
Davis was sentenced Thursday by Lake County Judge Christopher Lombardo, who imposed a 42-year sentence for murder plus a 25-year enhancement for the use of a firearm.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Both OpenAI and Anthropic have hiked prices and imposed rate limits to manage surging demand.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In past years, that has created openings for disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests in which security moved to remove guests who unfurled banners or staged demonstrations.—
Bridget Byrne,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Apr. 2026
-
That event, along with the Grand Mosque seizure in 1979, created a backlash against Western thought, Western ideology.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
He was forced off with what looked like a hamstring injury, and with only four matches remaining, there is now a very real possibility that Salah has played his final game for Liverpool.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Even though the pushing and throwing motions forced the robots into excursions near the boundaries of their physical workspaces, and the pick-and-place maneuver demanded complex internal mathematical checks, all three machines were able to learn a functional policy via a single human demonstration.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The 76th edition of the FIFA Congress brought some 1,600 of the top soccer officials from around the world to the city.—
Anne M. Peterson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The king met with the little leaguers, greeted local dancers and the queen even said hello to a little black and white lamb who was brought by a local to the historic event.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicted. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
