as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
that woman's besetting need to meddle in the affairs of others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacking
to take sudden, violent action against
the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of besetting
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
To his sons, however, the Party offers meaning and purpose—a powerful countervailing force to the lack of prospects besetting their generation, which had been decimated by the Great War.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
The Leafs needed an NHL player with injuries besetting their blue line.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
To his sons, however, the Party offers meaning and purpose—a powerful countervailing force to the lack of prospects besetting their generation, which had been decimated by the Great War.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besetting
Adjective
-
In the protein-obsessive landscape of today, a couple of Quest bars sounds positively quaint.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
-
That series starred Gadd, in an autobiographical role, as a stand-up comedian being stalked by an obsessive fan, played by Jessica Gunning.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By the same token, one of the biggest bugs plaguing AMC’s The Audacity may be the timing.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
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The Hickman Mills School District will welcome several new faces to its school board in the coming weeks, along with a new source of partial relief to the multimillion-dollar debt plaguing the district.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For any politician unwilling or unable to persuade the public with facts and strong rebuttals, attacking the messenger becomes the path of least resistance.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
-
When attacking adult or adolescent males, Sandel said the chimpanzees use collective violence.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The ultimate goal is never an impulsive diagnosis.—
Lucy Jones
April 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
For svn4vr, a devout Christian whose music grapples with the demands of faith, the impulsive workflow conveys a religious fervor.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gene-drive technology might be able to make wildlife less likely to spread diseases such as the one afflicting the rabbits, or malaria.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
8 Apr. 2026
-
For Yuldosheva and her neighbors, finding their landlord is one of many problems afflicting their six-story building near Yankee Stadium.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The lawyers had argued that a history of assaulting women didn’t make Combs guilty of the crimes charged.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Philadelphia sports radio personality Mike Missanelli was arrested early Wednesday morning for allegedly assaulting his fiancee, police said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Residents said the attackers operated for hours, raiding homes and sending residents to flee to safety in neighboring communities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
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There’s also talk of US forces raiding nuclear sites deep inside Iran to retrieve worrisome nuclear material, amid heightened fears that it could be used by an angry and desperate Iranian regime to manufacture nuclear weapons.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besetting. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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