1
as in to attack
to surround (as a fortified place) with armed forces for the purpose of capturing or preventing commerce and communication
armies besieged the city for six months before it finally surrendered
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to beg
to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner
bereaved parents continued to besiege the president with pleas to end the war
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of besiege
At the start of the invasion, Russian troops besieged the city, forcing residents to endure harsh winter conditions without electricity or water under constant shelling from Russian artillery, missiles and drones.
—
Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
Consumers are besieged nearly every day about some news about Elon Musk’s latest moves at the Department of Government Efficiency to gain access to government records that contain sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers.
—Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
Well-wishers so besieged Moore that the actress had to be informed formally that the engraving process was complete.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
Even with these advances, however, there continue to rug-pulls, hacks, breaches, and other negative and unethical events besieging the sector.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
Consumers are besieged nearly every day about some news about Elon Musk’s latest moves at the Department of Government Efficiency to gain access to government records that contain sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers.
—Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
Well-wishers so besieged Moore that the actress had to be informed formally that the engraving process was complete.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
Even with these advances, however, there continue to rug-pulls, hacks, breaches, and other negative and unethical events besieging the sector.
—Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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Particularly his ability to do things at such high speed and to help begin attacking moves in his own half.—
Philipp Lahm,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Police are searching for three suspects who were caught on video repeatedly attacking a 61-year-old trans woman outside of her convenience store in Los Angeles’ Westlake neighborhood.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But the final 22 minutes of Game 5 demonstrated the same weaknesses that plagued Orlando for the entire season and throughout the playoff series.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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In a system plagued by fragmentation, mobile care can deliver both clinical impact and operational edge.—
Paulina Wierzbicka,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That’s a lot of unspent money and begs the question: Is more tax needed from an industry that’s shrinking, not growing?—
Andrew DeAngelo,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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And the neglect of the property over the years begs the question if the city has any interest in helping the area maintain its flavor as gentrification becomes hypercharged.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Israel also has blockaded Gaza for the past six weeks, again barring the entry of food and other goods.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Apr. 2025
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Israel also has blockaded Gaza for the last six weeks, barring the entry of food, medicine and other goods.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Protectionists presented tariffs as the essential policy to quicken the development of manufactures as well as a remedy to the social ills that afflicted the emerging industrial working class.—
Made by History,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
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But the malady afflicting much of the Dodgers lineup seems to have infected the third baseman with a particularly virulent strain.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Port of Seattle is petitioning to overturn a controversial new city law that allows housing in part of SoDo, escalating a political fight over the future of Seattle's industrial lands.—
Christine Clarridge,
Axios,
9 Apr. 2025
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After his family won rulings for his return to U.S. soil by Monday, the Trump administration petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Of all the galaxies in this frame, one pair stands out in particular: a smooth golden galaxy encircled by a nearly complete ring at left.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2025
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For several hundred dollars, tour companies fly passengers high above the rivers that encircle the city, showcasing a stunning, bird’s-eye view of the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center and other landmarks.—
Philip Marcelo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In a video posted to his Truth Social platform in December 2023, Trump accused the FBI and DOJ of sending undercover spies to churches to persecute people of faith.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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The statement concluded with an expression of solidarity with Christians who are persecuted.—
Chloe Breyer,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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