inflicting

verb

present participle of inflict
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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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 inflicting That might be the best shot society has at preventing AI from inflicting serious harm, according to some industry experts. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026 Indeed, inflicting hardship on the population seems especially unlikely to change the calculus of the Iranian regime, given its willingness to kill thousands of protestors to stay in power. — Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026 Caruso has been charged with kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse inflicting mental injury. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 Media coverage tends to focus on long-range air strikes Russia and Ukraine are inflicting deep inside each other's territory. — Greg Myre, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026 Although inflicting pain globally, the energy crisis is biting particularly hard in the rural expanses and communities of the European Union’s largest country by area. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 Alexander Kuzmenko, 62, was fishing with a group of people along the Bolshoy Yenisey River in Russia's Republic of Tuva when the bear attacked him, inflicting severe injuries to his head and face. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Lopez had been sentenced in Los Angeles County to 29 years in prison for assault with a semiautomatic firearm with enhancements for street gang activity, inflicting great bodily injury and use of a firearm, officials said. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Ferrari was charged with injuries to a police dog, recklessly endangering another person and inflicting injury to a domestic animal, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicting
  1. imposing
  2. creating
  3. forcing
  4. bringing
Verb
  • The measure works largely by imposing deadlines on state agencies and courts to issue decisions quickly.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Ukraine has accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of imposing new restrictions on its military-grade Starlink internet service without warning, disrupting Ukrainian military operations.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of imposing
Verb
  • Another interesting direction is canvas bags paired with exotic-leather pouches, creating a contrast between materials and textures.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The corals themselves are bigger than cars, their delicate arms creating a dense underwater maze.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of creating
Verb
  • Smelters reject or penalize this dangerous contaminant, forcing miners to destroy it using energy-intensive, high-emission furnaces.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Holiday shopping used to feel concentrated in the weeks leading up to December, forcing households to absorb a big chunk of seasonal spending in a relatively short stretch.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of forcing
Verb
  • Creality's approach is rather different, swapping smaller nozzle assemblies instead of complete print heads, and potentially bringing the benefits of multi-nozzle printing to a more affordable machine.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • For the Bills fans, the store opening is bringing a slice of home and Upstate New York.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of bringing

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inflicted
inflicting
inflicts
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Cite this Entry

“Inflicting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflicting. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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