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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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
During the war, Gaza’s hospitals have eked back services, only to be repeatedly struck or besieged again.
—
Tavleen Tarrant, NBC news, 14 June 2025
Today, some 30,000 Druze and Christians are besieged—without water, electricity, food, or medicine.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Khader returned to Jenin briefly in December, smuggled in by friends while the camp was besieged by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces in coördination with the Israeli military, as part of a crackdown on armed fighters.
—M. Z. Adnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
Set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, Dark Winds follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) of the Tribal Police as a series of seemingly unrelated crimes besiege him.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Tavleen Tarrant, NBC news, 14 June 2025
Today, some 30,000 Druze and Christians are besieged—without water, electricity, food, or medicine.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Khader returned to Jenin briefly in December, smuggled in by friends while the camp was besieged by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces in coördination with the Israeli military, as part of a crackdown on armed fighters.
—M. Z. Adnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
Set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, Dark Winds follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) of the Tribal Police as a series of seemingly unrelated crimes besiege him.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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The Vera Institute's advocacy arm Vera Action, for example, assessed that the the GOP spent more than $1 billion attacking Democrats on crime and immigration in 2024, while Democrats spent roughly $319 million on advertisements that played up their public safety records.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
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Cardi also dropped a trailer for the album, showing her inside a house as crows swarm and attack her mansion.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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No mysteries plagued Preller this summer as far as which Padres positions needed upgrades ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Aug. 2025
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Diversity in jury pools have been longstanding issues plaguing the criminal justice system.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Continue reading … 'DON’T DO IT' – 'The View' host begs music legend to snub Trump's Kennedy Center honor.—
,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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His home run in Milwaukee last October likely kept him in a Mets uniform this season, with the fans begging the club to sign their homegrown hero.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If Beijing quarantines or blockades Taiwan, for example, the island’s leaders would face a narrow political window in which to define the crisis and coordinate a timely response, before messaging from partisan media takes over.—
LEV NACHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Aug. 2025
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Diane Miller, Plantation Release the hostages now A front page Sun Sentinel headline, July 24: Israel blockades causing starvation.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 July 2025
Verb
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The risk and harms of AMD increase after age 65, but bright lights afflict younger people, too.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
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The gun violence epidemic continues to afflict our country and now has shattered lives in our great city.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
Verb
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The institute petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2024 to take up the case of a Massachusetts dad denied the ability to video-record his son's special education accommodation conferences.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
13 Aug. 2025
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Last week, Anthropic petitioned to appeal the class certification, urging the court to weigh questions that the district court judge, William Alsup, seemingly did not.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Basinger offers insight into one of the key components of the studio’s indelible logo featuring mountaintop encircled by a ring of stars.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
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Beneath the surface, Denmark’s Viking fortresses encircle the land—silent, symmetrical, and stoic.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In late-night filings Thursday, the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office pushed back on recent framing by Combs’ lawyers portraying him as persecuted.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
1 Aug. 2025
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Open Doors is a global Christian charity which supports and speaks up for Christians persecuted for their faith.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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