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
That spinach artichoke dip? After becoming infected with salmonella, Chaffin was out sick for a week from her job as a manager at a local ice rink.
—
Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 7 June 2025
Other less common but possible means of transmission are infected blood transfusions, infected organ transplants, breastfeeding, or occupational exposure in healthcare settings.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2025
As such, even devices that are safe themselves can be infected by downloading apps from unofficial marketplaces — just as with Android smartphones.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
The presence of the virus this month in samples indicates an additional person may be infected with the highly contagious illness, according to a news release.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for infect
Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 7 June 2025
Other less common but possible means of transmission are infected blood transfusions, infected organ transplants, breastfeeding, or occupational exposure in healthcare settings.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2025
As such, even devices that are safe themselves can be infected by downloading apps from unofficial marketplaces — just as with Android smartphones.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
The presence of the virus this month in samples indicates an additional person may be infected with the highly contagious illness, according to a news release.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for infect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infect
Verb
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Still, no amount of artistic success could heal the rift that had poisoned the group.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
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The press, like the government and the judiciary, is part of a system that’s poisoned from within.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Often times, vacant lots may be contaminated with hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead paint or underground storage tanks, posing risks to human health and the environment.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
16 June 2025
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Iran has nuclear plants buried deep inside mountains, inaccessible to air strikes and others that would, if flattened, contaminate large areas of the Persian Gulf.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes.com,
16 June 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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After Messi made a nice run down the middle of the pitch, Porto midfielder Rodrigo Mora fouled the World Cup champion about a yard outside the penalty arc.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Ozuna swung and fouled it off, but seeing how bad the swing was, Alvarez called for the same pitch again.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infect. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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