BESET Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

beset

verb

bi-ˈset

Definition of beset

as in to plague

to cause persistent suffering to he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to attack

to take sudden, violent action against the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers

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 beset In more recent years, BioWare has also been beset by a number of high-profile departures, including founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk in 2012 and longtime producer Mac Walters in 2023. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 According to the suit, Jane Doe was beset by seven men while she was incapacitated by drugs and alcohol. — Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 In McDonnell, his supporters say, the mayor has an honest and principled leader who has managed to steady a department beset by low morale, dwindling staffing levels and aging facilities. — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Terraforming remains a distant and deeply speculative prospect beset by enormous scientific and engineering challenges. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beset

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beset

Verb

Deloitte-run systems have been plagued by errors that can result in eligible people losing their health coverage, previous KFF Health News investigations have shown.

— Samantha Liss, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
The president used an antisemitic slur to defend Marshall’s history of suing patients for medical debt, a controversy that has plagued the incumbent senator in recent weeks.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of plague

Verb

Egypt's president sought to reassure the public that the country wouldn't attack Yemen, and that the military support is limited to defending Saudi territory.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of attack

Verb

Speaking to Variety ahead of the market, Mackinnon says the show takes its title from the chronic burnout that afflicts emergency workers on the job.

— Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
On screen, Guitarrica’s expressive and angular visage conveys the fright and uncertainty that afflict his character, who is desperate for tenderness.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of afflict

Verb

Becerril had been assaulted before his body was placed in the trunk, according to the CHP.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The women, who don't know each other, allege they were assaulted by Brand between 1999 and 2009 in locations including workplaces, a hotel room and a bathroom at a bar.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of assault

Verb

Those governments provide assurances that people won’t be persecuted or tortured, federal attorneys said.

— Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

Thrifting, attending clothing swaps and raiding friends' and family members' closets are all ways to avoid buying new costumes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Thieves raided a jewelry store in a crash-and-grab burglary in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood early Tuesday morning.

— Desiree Evans, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of raid

Verb

French cities have been shaken in recent weeks by vandalism and looting sparked by cost-of-living demonstrations, amid a broader crisis besieging the country’s lame-duck centrist government that has spiked French bond yields.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Mehra – director of 2016 pic Baar Baar Dekho and creator of Prime Video series Big Girls Don’t Cry – says that while Indian audiences are besieged by films and TV content right now, where Hunkkaar has cut through is in its subject matter.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of besiege

Verb

Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.

— ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Republicans stormed to their first majority in the House (54 seats net) in 40 years and recaptured the Senate with eight new seats there as well.

— Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of storm

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beset

besets

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Style

“Beset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beset. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of beset

verb

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