besiege

verb

be·​siege bi-ˈsēj How to pronounce besiege (audio)
bē-
besieged; besieging

transitive verb

1
military : to surround with armed forces
The army had besieged the castle.
2
a
: to press with requests : importune
besieging the royal ministers with petitions …T. B. Costain
besieged by the media
b
: to cause worry or distress to : beset
doubts besieged him
besieger noun

Examples of besiege in a Sentence

Customers have besieged the company with questions.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Business advocacy groups have besieged the Legislature with calls to either undo the changes or reach a compromise on minimum wage and paid leave policies. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 16 Nov. 2024 The Trump campaign has been besieged in the last days of the 2024 election after his New York rally Sunday featured speakers spewing racist and sexist remarks echoing Nazi language, and the Albuquerque, N.M., visit gave the campaign a chance for a visual reset. Russell Contreras, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024 Advertisement The Defense Department formally pulled the pier from the Gaza shore on June 28 and declared an end in mid-July to the mission to bring aid into the territory besieged by the war between Israel and Hamas. Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 Policy Timelines Last but not least the reality is that governmental policy and legislation works on a timeline and cycle that is measured in years, something that the technology industry continues to find out via the multiple hearings and lawsuits that have besieged the sector since 2015. Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for besiege 

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of besiege was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near besiege

Cite this Entry

“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/besiege. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

besiege

verb
be·​siege bi-ˈsēj How to pronounce besiege (audio)
besieged; besieging
1
: to surround with armed forces for the purpose of capturing
2
: to trouble with requests
3
: to cause worry or distress to
doubts besieged him
besieger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on besiege

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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