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 Adams administration was besieged with corruption at every level—the Blackness of the perpetrators was of no solace.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Don Lemon also enjoyed a standing ovation and was besieged by people all night to express their gratitude and support after he was arrested and charged for an anti-ICE protest just two days before.
—Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Coach Kyle Shanahan’s ninth season, besieged by injuries to star players, ended with a wild-card win at defending champion Philadelphia before a 41-6 suffocation in Seattle.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
The militants at the time besieged it for months before being pushed back.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Don Lemon also enjoyed a standing ovation and was besieged by people all night to express their gratitude and support after he was arrested and charged for an anti-ICE protest just two days before.
—Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Coach Kyle Shanahan’s ninth season, besieged by injuries to star players, ended with a wild-card win at defending champion Philadelphia before a 41-6 suffocation in Seattle.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
The militants at the time besieged it for months before being pushed back.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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Iran has also threatened to attack Israel, meaning a regional war again could erupt across the Middle East.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
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Iran threatened to escalate any conflict if the US attacked, ahead of nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the final years of Khamenei’s stubborn rule, the country grew increasingly isolated, plagued by corruption and sinking deeper into economic turmoil, with dwindling prospects for a swelling youth population and shrinking middle class.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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But Republicans are worried that the popular but scandal-plagued Paxton could eventually win the primary, boosting Democrats’ chances of finally flipping the seat blue after decades of false hope.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When Hyacinth flounces off to check the hall, Eloise hot on her trail, Sophie begs for a moment of Violet’s time.—
Christina Grace Tucker,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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The actor, who stepped back from the limelight of late, teared up as director Michel Gondry recalled their collaboration on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and looked touched when actor Emmanuel Curtil, who is the official French voice of Carrey, begged him not to leave the profession.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whether oil traffic through the strait drops significantly depends on whether Iran has the military might to blockade the essential oil choke point, experts said.—
Maliya Ellis,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Feb. 2026
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His death sparked civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta and more than a dozen Mexican states, including Quintana Roo, with cars set on fire and blockades obstructing highways.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The statement did not include what skin condition requiring a prescription is afflicting Trump, but causes could include eczema, an allergic reaction caused by food or medication, shingles and others.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Put simply, notaming deficits through a balance of revenue increases and lower spending, but abandoning spending discipline, the curse that afflicts Europe to this day.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rael-Gálvez, however, found evidence that Father Martínez petitioned the Taos County probate court, in January, 1867, to not recognize her absolute freedom.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2026
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With the help of a local NAACP lawyer, Tate’s, Prevost’s, and Etienne’s parents petitioned the school district to send their children to a new school.—
Clint Smith,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There dense clouds of dust and spindly filaments of cold molecular gas, the basic matter from which stars form, encircle the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
26 Feb. 2026
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Much like snowballs are composed of clusters of snowflakes, planetesimals likely arose within the disks of dust that encircled the newborn sun from clouds of pebble-sized objects pulled together by their mutual gravitational attraction.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The agency’s leadership structure — chaired by active-duty officers loyal to Ortega — undermines its autonomy and allows the government to use financial oversight tools to persecute critics, Treasury said.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Cambodia’s government has long been accused of using the judicial system to persecute critics and political opponents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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