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 But Ogles, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, was also beset by a history of inflammatory remarks, including calling for a ban on immigration from mostly Muslim countries. — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 7 Aug. 2026 If your garden has been beset by destructive crawling insects like ants, beetles, and slugs, pesticides often seem like the clear solution. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026 The elimination of the TPS program affects more than 300,000 Haitians nationwide, who now face the possibility of deportation to a country beset by widespread gang warfare, unreliable healthcare, cholera outbreaks and deadly drone attacks. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 31 July 2026 The Archipelago muddles on for fifty years until the Lough’s beset by an ecological crisis. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for beset

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beset

Verb

Airlines around the world are currently plagued by delays in their efforts to deliver new premium offerings — including increasing passenger demand for privacy, high-tech connectivity and inflight entertainment — to meet the surge in air travel.

— Edward Russell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Klubnik will need to limit the turnovers that plagued him at Clemson during his final season.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of plague

Verb

Another warehouse belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries was also attacked to the east of Moscow, Vorobyov said, with a fire breaking out at the facility.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Crossing threat Undoubtedly, Coventry’s best attacking moments come from wide positions.

— Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of attack

Verb

That means protections for those who have been vaccinated will weaken and wane as the disease afflicts those who haven’t, threatening public health as a whole.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Health advocates consider an official definition of ultraprocessed food a key step toward bringing greater scrutiny to meals that are blamed for multiple chronic health problems afflicting Americans.

— Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of afflict

Verb

Police say the victim courageously fought for her life and escaped to the breezeway of the apartment, screaming for help as Reyes continued to assault her.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
In addition to the federal investigations, Mills has been accused of misrepresenting his military record, engaging in unethical business dealings, assaulting a girlfriend and stalking an ex-girlfriend.

— Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of assault

Verb

Although the two programs similarly target humanitarian concerns, being a TPS holder does not guarantee asylum, which requires that applicants prove they’ve been persecuted on specific grounds.

— Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2026
In The Bacchae, Dionysus becomes violent only because his existence has been denied and his followers persecuted, and his maenads similarly become destructive only when pursued.

— Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

Federal agents raided a Miami Gardens home this week and found a machine gun-making factory, along with homemade, automatic weapons and devices used to switch semiautomatic weapons to fully-automatic firearms, according to a criminal complaint.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026
It was raided in 2003 amid an investigation by police regarding the late musician’s relationship with a minor and molestation allegations.

— Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of raid

Verb

Residents of a Newark, New Jersey, apartment complex got a startling wakeup call Sunday morning when police in tactical gear, responding to reports of multiple people shot, stormed their building.

— Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Eventually, Daemon uses Caraxes to burn down the entrance so that the Blacks can storm the town in search of Ormund and his Rhaenyra’s latest rival, Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth).

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of storm

Browse Nearby Words

beseems

beset

besets

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Style

“Beset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beset. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of beset

verb

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