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
The new film is again set in a Viking village that is constantly besieged by different kinds of dragons.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations — a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied.
—Reuters, NBC news, 9 June 2025
Imagine an aircraft carrier group besieged by a thousand drones in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
The deadly fire is a heartbreaking ending to a life besieged by challenges.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations — a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied.
—Reuters, NBC news, 9 June 2025
Imagine an aircraft carrier group besieged by a thousand drones in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
The deadly fire is a heartbreaking ending to a life besieged by challenges.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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This infection attacks your stomach lining and causes inflammation.—
Sayaka Blickenderfer,
Health,
28 June 2025
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The wild and ugly scenes saw rioters attack law enforcement with rocks and Molotov cocktails while others burned vehicles and other property.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Pachuca’s failure plagued Salzburg as well, with the Austrian side needing a boost after things turned for the worse against Real Madrid, only to be denied – despite their social media admin’s best pleas.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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The last few projects have been plagued by delays and massive cost overruns.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Frazier then tried to subtly get the answer to the question fans have been begging to know — is Rihanna having a baby girl?—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
30 June 2025
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Within a month, my friends were begging me for more.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Looks like the oil industry is expecting the Strait to be blockaded in the coming days.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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The zombies move fast here, so some of the traditional zombie moments, like the inevitable part where everyone is blockaded in a house for a while, don’t really work in 28 Days.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Verb
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To put it into perspective, the National Organization for Rare Disorders estimates that one person on every elevator and four people on every bus are afflicted.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
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The perils afflicting these marooned vacationers turned the Triumph into a social media fascination — #CruiseShipFromHell was a trending topic at the time — and inspired parodies on Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Letby's lawyers and three former executives at the hospital unsuccessfully petitioned Thirlwall to halt the public inquiry after the medical panel released its findings.—
BRIAN MELLEY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
2 July 2025
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Dodd petitioned local churches, the YMCA and shopkeepers to observe Father's Day – a Mother's Day counterpart that would celebrate dads.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
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As of Monday evening, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 July 2025
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The tubing with inline emitters, shown at bottom, encircles a citrus.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
Verb
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There may be no animal that has been more revered and reviled, romanticized and persecuted, adopted and murdered than the coyote.—
Helen Whybrow
July 7,
Literary Hub,
7 July 2025
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Asylum seekers must prove their government is persecuting them or that they're being persecuted by someone who the government is unable or unwilling to stop.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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