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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of besetting
Michael Schaub,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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
Verb
Both mother and daughter reflect on the troubles besetting their own family, as the mother tries to write a novel.
—
Michael Schaub,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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
-
The modern wellness industry, however, thrives on the idea that healthy aging requires constant, obsessive measurement and optimization through supplements, wearable devices, expensive scans, or influencers promising to unlock the secret to longevity.
-
As soon as daylight saving time hits, like clockwork, my once borderline obsessive need to have perfectly pristine floors, windows, walls, and closets is thrown to the wayside.
Verb
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For many years, both NASA and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos have struggled to contain persistent leaks plaguing the International Space Station.
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His £55million move to Newcastle from Brentford last summer has proven disastrous so far, with injuries plaguing him and only three goals all season.
Verb
-
His pace routinely bothered Sweden, including on one impressive solo run in the first half that produced a quality attacking scenario.
-
The video then shows the woman throwing Martinez to the ground, grabbing her by the hair and repeatedly attacking her as bystanders try to step in and help.
Adjective
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But the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until a person reaches their mid-to-late 20s, making young people more susceptible to impulsive behavior while gambling.
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The underlying songwriting is impulsive, but many tracks adopt a deliberately sedate mood or sort through dense clusters of cut-up loops, and Alfa’s spatialization gives the album a pallor that can resemble brain fog.
Verb
-
Cholera, a waterborne bacterial disease, has unleashed a perilous wave across southern Africa, with active outbreaks currently afflicting five countries in southern and central Africa.
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Never mind the economic turbulence afflicting the country and the world, driven most recently by rising gas prices because of the war in Iran.
Verb
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In 2017 and 2018, Werhan was arrested on separate occasions in Pittsfield, Massachusetts for allegedly assaulting his father and girlfriend, according to the warrant affidavit.
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Weinstein was originally convicted of assaulting both Mann and Haley in 2020, but that verdict was overturned on a 4-3 vote by the state’s highest court in 2024.
Verb
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Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
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Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
Verb
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Want to stop raiding the fridge every night before bed?
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While our dreams of raiding Tay Tay’s closet will likely never come true, that won’t stop of from borrowing her style and shopping Swift’s favorite designer brands.
Cite this Entry
“Besetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besetting. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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