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
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
-
Behind Fernandez’s obsessive hitting tutelage, a young Bruins roster delivers national-best RBIs and on-base percentage.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Demie, a music obsessive, recalls being extremely impressed by the needle drops that Levinson wrote in.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
She is backed by the local Democratic Socialists of America, and her challengers claim the district has suffered under under her leadership, pointing to MacArthur Park as emblematic of the homelessness and drug addiction crisis plaguing the city.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
The title of his third album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, suggests an MCU movie in which our hero attempts to take on every problem plaguing the planet—and this time, Owusu isn’t giving his adversaries code names.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Rather than attacking all rapidly growing cells, as chemotherapy does, the drug targets a key cancer-driving pathway known as KRAS, which is involved in more than 90% of pancreatic tumors.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
-
Akindahunsi is accused of attacking several women the night of May 28.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
This skill prevents reactive leadership, builds trust and enables thoughtful responses rather than impulsive reactions that can damage relationships and morale.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
The attacks were rarely sudden or impulsive.—
Michael Brunker,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
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.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Never mind the economic turbulence afflicting the country and the world, driven most recently by rising gas prices because of the war in Iran.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Verb
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While federal law dictates up to 20 years in prison or assaulting pilots or flight attendants, there is no nationwide standard for public transit operators.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
-
John Gotti's grandson, Carmine Gotti Agnello, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a woman, Nassau County Police said.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
Behind the story One of the really big stories on my beat covering China for the last decade has been Beijing's intensive ramp-up in detaining and persecuting Uyghurs, a primarily Muslim ethnic minority.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Even rural birds manage to find some human items, most likely by raiding farm bins or garages.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
-
At 13-years-old, Blue Ivy Carter is already raiding one of the best closets in the game.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besetting. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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