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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of besetting
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
-
Psychologists distinguish between obsessive and harmonious passion.—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
With his jaw clenched and sights set on being the next James Bond, Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Major Will Tranter, a bomb disposal pro who’s both an ace sniper and a bit of a loose cannon, breaking protocol in his obsessive attempt to deactivate the vintage ordnance with minimal casualties.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Or why this situation remains indicative of bigger issues plaguing our country, then and now?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
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While the problems plaguing humanity — from political strife to poverty to natural disasters — might seem overwhelming, Dorantes said the property’s history illustrates how much the world can actually change.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At least four young men are seen attacking the boy at various points.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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When combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors – the breakthrough immunotherapy that prevents the immune system from attacking healthy cells – the T cells' tumor-fighting capacity was further enhanced.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Reflective self-talk while performing tasks gives you self-regulation and prevents the lightning-fast, reflexive emotional self-talk from making impulsive decisions that lead to errors and mistakes.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Ari is a rich kid from New York, who is an impulsive motormouth desperate for Sam’s affection.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Americans live shorter lives than their European equivalents, McClatchy News reported in April, but the trend of stagnant life expectancy appears to be afflicting European nations the same, according to the study.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Federal prosecutors have charged Omari Juan Beidleman with assaulting two members of the Mississippi National Guard during a patrol at the Capitol South Metro station.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
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Insist that the federal government deploy those resources to get the violent offenders who are killing, assaulting and robbing law-abiding citizens on the city’s South and West sides.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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In July, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two of the Taliban’s top leaders, accusing them of persecuting women and girls in Afghanistan, which the group dismissed.—
Astha Rajvanshi,
NBC news,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Simpson goes away to college, in Chicago, though not without her mother raiding her personal loan.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
3 Sep. 2025
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Almost half of America's youngest workers are raiding their retirement accounts just to get by, a new report has found.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besetting. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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