as in to poison
to pass something harmful (such as a disease) to someone or something else
If you come to work when you're sick, you'll infect everyone in the office.
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Recent Examples of infect
In a person infected with the covid virus, the balance is thrown off and the production of those molecules is disrupted, which research shows can lead to blood clots or other blood disorders.
—
Kff Health News, Oc Register, 2 June 2025
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
—Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 22 that certain frozen, raw and half-shell oysters from South Korea could be infected with norovirus.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Measles is highly contagious and can spread from one person to nine out of 10 people close to them, according to the CDC, which notes a person infected with measles can spread it to others four days before through four days after the rash appears.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for infect
Kff Health News, Oc Register, 2 June 2025
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
—Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 22 that certain frozen, raw and half-shell oysters from South Korea could be infected with norovirus.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Measles is highly contagious and can spread from one person to nine out of 10 people close to them, according to the CDC, which notes a person infected with measles can spread it to others four days before through four days after the rash appears.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for infect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infect
Verb
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The toxins accumulate in filter-feeding fish, and then poison larger mammals who gobble up the fish in mass quantities.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
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The Louisville Courier Journal documented the connection in their investigation into cartel drugs poisoning Oregon.—
Sean Campbell,
The Conversation,
23 May 2025
Verb
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In my home state of California, a giant scandal erupted in June 2024 when the Los Angeles Times and Weed Week reported that many cannabis brands were contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals despite lab testing being a big part of the regulatory framework for legalization.—
Andrew DeAngelo,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In 1924, contaminated oysters killed 150 people in the deadliest outbreak of food poisoning in United States history.—
Garritt C. Van Dyk,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
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The seventh pitch was a curveball at the bottom of the zone that Chapman fouled.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
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First, Freeman fouled off a 98 mph sinker before taking a changeup just off the plate.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infect. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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