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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of besiege
In a similar vein, the Business section featured an article on our inequitable national tax structure, which enables the wealthy to grow their wealth while most people, besieged by income taxes and rising property taxes, struggle.
—
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.
—David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
When news circulated about the gathering, Temple Emanu-El was besieged with inquiries from the local media.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
The interview takes a bad turn when the Ralph Lauren office building is besieged by the tabloid mob.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.
—David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
When news circulated about the gathering, Temple Emanu-El was besieged with inquiries from the local media.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
The interview takes a bad turn when the Ralph Lauren office building is besieged by the tabloid mob.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
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
Verb
-
Yet that weariness doesn’t plague the music itself.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2026
-
President Joe Biden's legacy is plagued by communication issues.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
What made Grande stick out back then was a limber voice that begged to be dressed in sounds that swing.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
In a story this complicated, where everyone from a little girl to a grown man from Boston is begging for their humanity, even Howard Stevens deserves some, too.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Iran had to shut in its own wells this month after the United States started blockading the strait.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
-
Demonstrators wielding dynamite have blockaded major cities, leading to shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Losses from cattle afflicted by the parasite could run into the billions of dollars, with larger effects across the American economy, according to USDA estimates.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
The incursion was the latest in a litany of drone incidents — from both Russia and Ukraine — to afflict NATO member states and leave the 32-member trans-Atlantic organization on edge, drawing strong condemnation from Romania’s allies.—
Stephen McGrath,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Paramount has petitioned the FCC to sign off on the foreign investment, as any foreign ownership stake above 25% requires agency approval.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
-
In 2024, Roan petitioned to change his surname to honor both his parents.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Just under 300,000 years from the moment Homo sapiens appeared in Africa, the species had encircled Earth, mastering desolate deserts and frozen wastelands and all the temperate climes in between.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
-
Ten standalone spa villas (five for couples and five for singles) encircle a pool reserved only for spa guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 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
-
During and shortly after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, too, persecuted Esperantists for the language’s association with anti–nationalism and anarchism.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
