inflict
verb (used with object)
to impose as something that must be borne or suffered.
were inflicting
-
past progressiveof inflict.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
By Sunday afternoon, his legs were inflicting maximal damage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
In the south, where Ukraine's forces aim to push to the Sea of Azov, Maliar said Kyiv's troops were "inflicting significant losses on the occupiers in terms of men and equipment".
From Reuters ● Sep. 16, 2023
Nkunku had been a frustrated figure all night, a player who found little space for all the suffocating pressure the Rangers defenders were inflicting on him.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2022
The letter, reportedly signed by more than 40 employees, was sent to the paper's leadership after it published a front-page article lamenting the damage rioters were inflicting on Philadelphia's buildings.
From Fox News ● Jun. 4, 2020
Mustapha's 'New Ordinance' was dictated by the reverses which Christians beyond the frontier were inflicting upon the Ottoman arms, for pressure from without had followed hard upon disintegration within.
From The Balkans A History of Bulgaria—Serbia—Greece—Rumania—Turkey by Nevill Forbes
