Thesaurus results for INFLICTS

inflicts

verb

present tense third-person singular of inflict

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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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 inflicts The betrayal Murray inflicts on Tremblay’s Kaczynski is compelling, even as the film presses it into service as an explanation for every horror that followed. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026 The more suffering Russia inflicts on Ukrainian civilians, the more Europe invests in Ukraine’s defense and its own. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 If a deepfake inflicts commercial damage or misleads consumers, businesses can pursue civil claims for defamation or false light, alongside federal trademark suits under the Lanham Act. — Allyson Kapin, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 In the end, the young cockroaches proved so resilient because Modi’s regime of control had no punishment or humiliation to threaten them with beyond what the system already inflicts on them every day. — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026 The media usually get Black femicide wrong Another problem surrounding intimate partner homicide inflicts its harms after death. — Sativa Banks, The Conversation, 4 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflicts

Verb

Berkowicz, 65, opposes Illinois’ sanctuary-state law and believes the state imposes too many mandates on localities.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
The judgment imposes no criminal fine, although Roberts must pay a mandatory $100 assessment.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of imposes

Verb

Kolbe’s distinctive use of language brings to life this period’s wonders and difficulties, and her maximalist approach to metaphor creates many energetic images.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
That, in turn, creates incentives to manage the firm carefully with an eye toward long-term survival.

— Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of creates

Verb

Different Monsters Require Different Minds That brings us to today.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
For property owners who poured their life savings into Camelot, the arrival of heavy machinery brings mounting anger over how local authorities handled the complex's long, troubled decline.

— La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of brings

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inflicting

inflicts

inflow

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

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Synonyms of inflicts

verb

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