inflicted

verb

past tense of inflict
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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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 Although Hegseth often seems to enjoy the idea that pain is being inflicted in his name, the mood at the Kabul Stadium was more subdued. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026 At issue before the court was the question of whether cities and states may sue oil and gas producers for the damages inflicted by climate change. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 The brutality and inhumanity that white Americans inflicted on free and enslaved Black people drove them out. — Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 The leading hypothesis is that the whale calves are suffering infections from marine bacteria that can enter their bodies through injuries inflicted by kelp gulls, Uhart said. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026 Of the tens of thousands of casualties Russia suffers each month, up to 90% are inflicted by drones. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026 The statements were positive but restrained, reflecting the pain inflicted by this saga. — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026 Others are inclined to rank evils according to the amount of savagery evident in the perpetrator, not to the damage inflicted on the world. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 Both Republicans unloaded on Cooper's tenure as governor, with Trump blaming Cooper for a grisly North Carolina murder and accusing him of doing nothing to help the state after Hurricane Helene inflicted widespread damage in 2024. — Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicted
  1. imposed
  2. created
  3. forced
  4. brought
Verb
  • The ban had been imposed by the central elections committee, a political body dominated by Netanyahu allies, on the basis that the parties supported armed struggle against Israel.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The restrictions, imposed without warning early Thursday, cut the internet data connection when a communication terminal moves faster than 100 mph.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of imposed
Verb
  • Here are the best, smartest and most revolutionary titles the genre created.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Using a form created specifically for the Department of Correction, eligible voters can apply for, receive and return their absentee ballots in a timely manner.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of created
Verb
  • In the southern port city of Marseille, some shops and a municipal police station were damaged, while protesters briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Performers weren’t spared either, with several forced to perform in the rain without covering for both artists and their equipment.
    — Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of forced
Verb
  • American officials were brought into the discussions as well.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The shooting has brought medical expenses and uncertainty to her family, according to the fundraising campaign.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of brought

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inflicted
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Cite this Entry

“Inflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicted. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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