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
San Francisco’s Animal Care and Control was besieged with calls about the dangerous encounters with the problematic Crissy Field animal.
—
Heather Knight, New York Times, 19 May 2025
In its 18-month campaign in Gaza, Israel has stood out by carrying out an open campaign on hospitals, besieging and raiding them, some several times, as well as hitting multiple others in strikes while accusing Hamas of using them as cover for its fighters.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
The construction is about halfway complete, according to the former president's foundation, but it has been besieged by significant delays and has gone well over budget.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Ellie’s gets bitten After fleeing the TV station and killing two Wolves in a remixed turn of events, Ellie and Dina find themselves in a subway tunnel besieged by both WLF and infected.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Heather Knight, New York Times, 19 May 2025
In its 18-month campaign in Gaza, Israel has stood out by carrying out an open campaign on hospitals, besieging and raiding them, some several times, as well as hitting multiple others in strikes while accusing Hamas of using them as cover for its fighters.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
The construction is about halfway complete, according to the former president's foundation, but it has been besieged by significant delays and has gone well over budget.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Ellie’s gets bitten After fleeing the TV station and killing two Wolves in a remixed turn of events, Ellie and Dina find themselves in a subway tunnel besieged by both WLF and infected.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
-
After the quake evacuation, the inmates were still outside of the cells when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire and fled, said Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan.—
Brittany Williams,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
-
Her dad drove to Boulder to attack the protest three days later, according to investigators.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
The wallet aims to solve cross-border payment challenges that have long plagued African creators.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 June 2025
-
Inside a Palm Beach County courtroom, Judge Kathleen Kroll is trying to tackle a problem that has plagued Florida schools in recent years: An alarming number of students aren’t showing up for school.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Over the course of his prolific, three-decade career, the American filmmaker has established a signature aesthetic and working style that could convince any actor to beg him for a part — almost any actor.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
-
They’re eventually joined by DC Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne) who is tired of being confined to a desk after a personal meltdown two years prior and begs Morck for a spot on the cold cases team.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
If the United States reduces its economic reliance on Taiwanese semiconductors, for instance, Beijing might decide that Washington won’t respond if China blockades or invades the island.—
ALLISON CARNEGIE,
Foreign Affairs,
14 May 2025
-
But its navy controlled enough of the Black Sea to blockade Ukrainian ports, choking the country’s economy and threatening global food security because Ukraine is a major grain exporter.—
Constant Méheut,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Violent crime, meanwhile, is a scourge afflicting every community.—
Sizwe Mpofu Walsh,
Time,
23 May 2025
-
Apart from overcoming the problems that afflicted the last two launches, one of the most important objectives for this flight is to test the performance of Starship's heat shield.—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
This union action against the company comes about six months after the Editors Guild and the Writers Guild of America East jointly petitioned Story Syndicate to finalize a fair deal.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
-
Career federal employees like Pyatt are supposed to be able to petition for a transfer or receive preference in hiring at other agencies.—
J. David McSwane,
ProPublica,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2025
-
There are single and double cultivars offering variations on the classic yellow center encircled by white petals.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
In 1968 a Jewish Dutch woman named Selma Vos was persecuted to death along with her husband, Cao Richang, an eminent psychologist who had helped found the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
-
Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order by a judge forbidding his removal to El Salvador because of concerns he would be persecuted there.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share