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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Boone acknowledged that location will be key for Stroman, who can no longer attack hitters head-on at this stage of his career.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
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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The last few projects have been plagued by delays and massive cost overruns.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
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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
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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Parliament and the president's office in Kenya's capital Nairobi were barricaded with razor wire, with all access roads blockaded by police.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 June 2025
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Small fragments of volcanic debris probably fell like rain through the opening during the first phases of the eruption, causing the four people inside the home to rush to the bedroom and blockade it with a bed to protect themselves.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
17 May 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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Those afflicted with sickle cell disease and their families turned out in support of World Sickle Cell Day at West Oakland’s DeFremery Park on Sunday.—
Jane Tyska,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Some officers petitioned Waddell to stop at Cape Town in late September instead of proceeding on to Liverpool.—
Francine Uenuma,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 June 2025
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Within a week after petitioning for divorce documents, Heard filed a domestic restraining order against her estranged husband on grounds of domestic abuse charges.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
23 June 2025
Verb
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As of Wednesday evening, the fire crew successfully encircled the entire perimeter of the fire in control lines.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
26 June 2025
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These are classic Quad features have been updated and authentically engineered, and work alongside a larger rotary control for the analog volume stage and is encircled with orange LEDs to show the current volume level.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
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With his penchant for menacing models, black-out contact lenses and jutting shoulders, Owens is also a forever torchbearer for different kinds of beauty, and a safe haven for people who feel persecuted for being outside the norm.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
25 June 2025
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The regimes that persecute religious minorities are also the ones that oppress women, LGBTQ people, journalists, and dissidents.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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