beleaguer

as in to besiege
to surround (as a fortified place) with armed forces for the purpose of capturing or preventing commerce and communication beleaguered the castle for months

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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 beleaguer The opportunity to host a PGA Tour event which had beleaguered prior title sponsors came knocking. Michael Loré, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 The California High-Speed Rail Authority, which seeks to build a high-speed rail line from Los Angeles to San Francisco, has been beleaguered by delays and increasing costs. William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 7 Jan. 2025 The French president, beleaguered by a political storm which saw the resignation this week of his prime minister Michel Barnier, toured the rebuilt cathedral this week and praised the tireless efforts of the many craftspeople involved – up to 2,000 skilled workers over five years. Caroline Frost, Deadline, 7 Dec. 2024 Lenora Chu Displeasure at mass immigration, an east German identity still beleaguered 35 years after the fall of communism, and a dampened economic outlook all provide fertile soil for extremism – prompting one-third of Thuringian voters to choose the far-right ballot. Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for beleaguer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beleaguer
besiege
Verb
  • Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.
    Aya Batrawy, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Landslide in western Sudan kills at least 1,000 A landslide in western Sudan killed at least 1,000 people, intensifying hardship in a country besieged by years of civil war.
    Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025

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“Beleaguer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beleaguer. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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