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
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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
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.
—
Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
The Kings, who snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, have been besieged by injuries this season.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The operation goes awry when one of the Black Hawk helicopters is brought down and its crew, including Durant (Ron Eldard), killed or besieged.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026
Destruction in Mariupol At the start of the war, Russian forces besieged Mariupol before the port city fell in May 2022.
—Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
The Kings, who snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, have been besieged by injuries this season.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The operation goes awry when one of the Black Hawk helicopters is brought down and its crew, including Durant (Ron Eldard), killed or besieged.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026
Destruction in Mariupol At the start of the war, Russian forces besieged Mariupol before the port city fell in May 2022.
—Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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When Sibomana-Rodriguez was 6 years old and living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he, his cousin and his brother were attacked by a swarm of chimpanzees.—
Daniel S. Levine,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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Be sure that the rear lure always has a hook, as the bass typically key in on the ‘straggler’ when attacking a ball of bait.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the Cubs’ offensive woes plagued them more than a misthrow from their reliever.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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The lopsided football and basketball brackets beg for change.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
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Lindsay is still texting him, begging for a reply, but Josh focuses on getting Troy to make the necessary calls.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump is blockading Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
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Trump’s threat Sunday to blockade the Strait of Hormuz could choke off Iran’s oil sales and the multimillion-dollar tolls that were helping finance its war against the United States.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These are important messages for a world afflicted by war and division.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
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The idea that anyone not afflicted by a death wish might initiate a high-speed accident with a thirty-eight-ton tractor-trailer seemed ludicrous.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And Congress cannot pass any laws that abridge the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, or the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
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Kalshi petitioned a federal court in Montana to block state officials from enforcing gambling laws to prevent the prediction market operator from offering event contracts for trading on its federally regulated exchange.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pink ribbons now encircle every post and sign as a gesture to our loss.—
Stephen Trimble,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
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Jack Grealish was prone on one of the tables, encircled not by medical staff but members of the club’s Down’s Syndrome team.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alex isn’t persecuted for being trans.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Jews were not necessarily being persecuted in Hungary at that point.—
Marcy Thompson,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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