siege

Definition of siegenext
1
as in attack
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder a devastating siege of typhoid fever hit the city

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2
as in blockade
the cutting off of an area by military means to stop the flow of people or supplies after a siege of six weeks, the city of Vicksburg surrendered to General Grant and his Union forces

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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 siege The siege had lasted five hundred days, more than three times as long as the siege of Stalingrad. Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025 One of the most fatal massacres occurred at the Saudi Maternity Hospital, which was the last functioning hospital as the city fell under siege. Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025 Kadugli town also has been under RSF siege for months with tens of thousands of people trapped, as the paramilitary group tries to seize more territory from its rival, the Sudanese military. NPR, 3 Nov. 2025 Surrounded by a sand barrier built during an 18-month siege, most of the 250,000 people in el-Fasher, in western Sudan, have been trapped as paramilitary fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have rampaged through the city. Sara Monetta, NBC news, 1 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for siege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for siege
Noun
  • Good's defenders – including city and state leaders – are calling what happened an unjustified attack; federal authorities say the agent was acting in self-defense.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
  • In Kyiv, a CNN reporter said that the attack began around midnight, starting with multiple drone strikes on residential buildings.
    Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Most Gazans who had come of age or graduated from university in 2006 when Israel’s blockade was imposed were in 2023 reaching the second half of their thirties without ever having had a job, despite their impressive educational achievements.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
  • China has also ramped up military pressure on the island, including near-daily flights across the midline of the Taiwan Strait and large-scale exercises simulating a blockade.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • After a bout of severe weather and tornadoes crossed Oklahoma on Thursday, the Sooner State will likely see more cold and precipitation into the week ahead.
    Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 9 Jan. 2026
  • McGlynn said Clifton's death was also caused by advanced Alzheimer’s disease, severe frailty, and a recent bout of pneumonia.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • After the seizure, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected Russian demands for special treatment of the Marinera’s crew during her regular briefing Wednesday.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The seizure struck Saturday afternoon.
    Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said his team found cases drag on for more than two years, and one lasted about seven years.
    Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The people elect representatives to project their ideas and feelings to those in power and, in our case, with three branches that keep each other in check.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • During this spell, Boland barely gave a thing away.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Lydia Ko went through such a spell.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 6 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Siege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/siege. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.

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