Meaning 1: To change the form of a word to show grammatical function
* "The verb 'walk' inflects to 'walked' in the past tense." (Here, "inflect" refers to the process of adding a suffix to change the verb's tense.)
* "English nouns inflect for number, making 'cat' become 'cats' in the plural." (This sentence describes how nouns change form to indicate singular or plural.)
Meaning 2: To change the pitch or tone of one's voice
* "Her voice inflected with sadness as she spoke of her loss." (This means her voice changed in tone, conveying sadness.)
* "The singer inflected the last note of the song, giving it a dramatic effect." (This describes how the singer altered the pitch of their voice.)
Meaning 3: To influence or affect something
* "The political climate has inflected the public's opinion on this issue." (Here, "inflected" means influenced or shaped.)
* "The company's recent success has inflected its stock price." (This sentence shows how success has affected the stock price.)
Meaning 4: To bend or curve
* "The road inflected sharply to the left." (This describes the road curving.)
* "The fabric of the dress was inflected with pleats." (This refers to the way the fabric was folded or bent.)
Important Note: The meaning of "inflect" is often determined by the context of the sentence. Pay attention to the surrounding words and phrases to understand how "inflect" is being used.