1
as in plagues
to cause persistent suffering to
he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacks
to take sudden, violent action against
the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besets
Verb
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His voice already had that staticky, far-away quality that plagues international calls, which made Nakia fear he was gone for good.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025 -
Everything that plagues Chicago also plagues America.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The monkey’s genitals are burned with a candle, and it is placed in a cage with a mongoose, which attacks it.—
Kevin Grasha,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Oct. 2025
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But together a picture emerges of a long-standing movement eager to stop anyone who attacks a principle or personality its adherents hold dear.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Sep. 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,
12 Sep. 2025
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Although there have been recent breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, no medication has succeeded in stopping or reversing the disease that afflicts more than 7 million Americans, a number projected to reach almost 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The episode sees Marge revisit her nostalgia for a Dawson's Creek-esque '90s teen drama as Lisa raids her mom's closet for vintage threads with the help of fashion-forward classmates Devin (Cole Escola) and Vidalia (Stephanie Hsu).—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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Appalachian State’s victory at Michigan in 2007 remains the greatest example of what can happen when a good FCS team walks into your house and raids the fridge, and everything else, but leaves the dog.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kyle storms off and vows to find whoever is responsible.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
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If at all possible, things get even worse when another group of men storms the house, claiming to be police.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sunny Hostin strikes a pose at the opening of the 50th Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York, which benefits the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
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When sunlight strikes a leaf, energy races across protein structures before it can be stored and used.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When extracts are shown, they’re either filmed in a theater or shown in a smaller frame within the frame, which robs the movie of its mega-ness.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
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The erasure of this experience robs us all, and especially future generations who will never see a night like this.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As an example, Vance called out an essay in The Nation that assails Kirk’s views on women, homosexuality, and affirmative action.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
20 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Besets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besets. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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