inflicts

VERB

impose something

Synonyms

STRONGEST

exact expose levy wreak

STRONG

administer apply command deliver dispense extort force give require strike subject visit

WEAK

bring upon deal out force upon give it to lay down the law mete out stick it to

Antonyms

STRONG

hold keep take withhold

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What inflicts the damage is not so much plausibility in the abstract as repetition inside intimacy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026

Sensitively, the film portrays the devastation Alzheimer's disease inflicts on a patient's loved ones.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

The pain Deborah inflicts on Ava is at once very personal and notoriously endemic to the entertainment business.

From Salon • May 9, 2025

The pain that Beckett inflicts on both women registers silently on his handsome craggy face.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2024

Is humanity worth the pain it inflicts upon itself?

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell