1
as in to attack
to surround (as a fortified place) with armed forces for the purpose of capturing or preventing commerce and communication
armies besieged the city for six months before it finally surrendered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to beg
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner
bereaved parents continued to besiege the president with pleas to end the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of besiege
Validated Insights To even the most casual observer, these must feel like belligerent times in higher education – surrounded by fires, besieged, and under crushing market pressures all at once.
—
Derek Newton, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Trump and his team described the U.S. capital as besieged by chaos, and eager to be overrun by law enforcement.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 11 Aug. 2025
But as Brentford besieged the visitors’ goal, they were caught on the counter as Leif Davis delivered a quality cross for Delap to steer home.
—Reuters, 26 Oct. 2024
Also great for very, very expensively besieging castles.
—Evan Ackermanerico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2016
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Derek Newton, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Trump and his team described the U.S. capital as besieged by chaos, and eager to be overrun by law enforcement.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 11 Aug. 2025
But as Brentford besieged the visitors’ goal, they were caught on the counter as Leif Davis delivered a quality cross for Delap to steer home.
—Reuters, 26 Oct. 2024
Also great for very, very expensively besieging castles.
—Evan Ackermanerico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2016
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
-
Charlie was the best of America, and the monster who attacked him was attacking our whole country.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Estonian police said the drone was likely en route to attack targets inside Russia.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In 1988, a catastrophic heat wave and drought plagued the United States, killing thousands of people and triggering over $80 billion in damage.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Getty Images The Department of Education posted a new update on Monday on massive application backlogs plaguing several federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Each room and common area feels like a treasure box; there’s hardly an inch of space that doesn’t beg you to stop, snap a photo, and admire the artistic composition.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The Academy is forcing me to beg political people to screen and select my film.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The education ministry said around 100 schools were disrupted and 27 fully blockaded.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widespread – from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Health advocates fear this could lead to higher rates of illness among children, which could worsen the health care disparities that already afflict the Black community.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily and most severely afflicts children.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, Kennedy petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke authorization of COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from approving any future COVID-19 vaccines.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
-
In 2016, the Mans petitioned to become Natalia’s legal guardians; however, a hearing was required to determine whether Natalia was a minor or a legal adult.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By Thursday morning, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The Federal Detention Center in SeaTac, Washington, stands just a few minutes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a blocky concrete tower encircled by chain-link fencing and razor wire.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The decree eliminated many of the civil liberties in Germany, opening the way for the Nazis to persecute their opponents.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share