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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of besiege
The new film is again set in a Viking village that is constantly besieged by different kinds of dragons.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations — a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied.
—Reuters, NBC news, 9 June 2025
Imagine an aircraft carrier group besieged by a thousand drones in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
The deadly fire is a heartbreaking ending to a life besieged by challenges.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations — a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied.
—Reuters, NBC news, 9 June 2025
Imagine an aircraft carrier group besieged by a thousand drones in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
The deadly fire is a heartbreaking ending to a life besieged by challenges.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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The main target of the attack was Kyiv and the surrounding region, with Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, Kirovohrad and Kharkiv regions also attacked, the president said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
10 July 2025
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Making homes more energy efficient is also a way to reduce carbon emissions, and thus attack the cause of more frequent and severe heat waves.—
Marianne Krasny,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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With water crises increasingly plaguing other areas of the country, Central Arkansas is positioning itself as a destination for sustainable economic growth.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
11 July 2025
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But, with its ridiculous time-turning conclusion, the 1978 classic revealed a problem that's been plaguing the last son of Krypton ever since: Superman movies never end well.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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When all 16 of her campers and her co-counselors were safely accounted for at the pavilion, Ainslie heard campers from another cabin — one that housed some of the camp’s youngest children — begging for help.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 July 2025
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But when Dexter relapsed back into killing and exposed his son to the family trade, the homecoming turned sour and Dexter begged his kid to shoot him–– and Harrison obliged.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Looks like the oil industry is expecting the Strait to be blockaded in the coming days.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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The zombies move fast here, so some of the traditional zombie moments, like the inevitable part where everyone is blockaded in a house for a while, don’t really work in 28 Days.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily, and most severely, afflicts children.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
9 July 2025
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But the results are admirably smooth, low in acidity, and free of the tannic bitterness that afflicts most quick cold brews.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
29 June 2025
Verb
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Letby's lawyers and three former executives at the hospital unsuccessfully petitioned Thirlwall to halt the public inquiry after the medical panel released its findings.—
BRIAN MELLEY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
2 July 2025
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Dodd petitioned local churches, the YMCA and shopkeepers to observe Father's Day – a Mother's Day counterpart that would celebrate dads.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
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As of Monday evening, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 July 2025
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The tubing with inline emitters, shown at bottom, encircles a citrus.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
Verb
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There may be no animal that has been more revered and reviled, romanticized and persecuted, adopted and murdered than the coyote.—
Helen Whybrow
July 7,
Literary Hub,
7 July 2025
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Asylum seekers must prove their government is persecuting them or that they're being persecuted by someone who the government is unable or unwilling to stop.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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