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
Since its municipal establishment in 2018, Roku City has been a metropolis intermittently besieged by mythical creatures including a kraken, a big robot, and a Godzilla-like kaiju.
—
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
She is besieged on all sides—by her in-laws, by social workers, by untreated psychosis—and yet in possession of a terrible freedom.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
If your flower beds were besieged with pests or fungal diseases, the fallen leaf litter and stems from those plants should not be left in the garden.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Ruling an isolated, ruined, and besieged Gaza Strip will not get Hamas closer to this objective—but building up a strong political presence in the West Bank could, and accepting the latest proposal could free Hamas to do this.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
She is besieged on all sides—by her in-laws, by social workers, by untreated psychosis—and yet in possession of a terrible freedom.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
If your flower beds were besieged with pests or fungal diseases, the fallen leaf litter and stems from those plants should not be left in the garden.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Ruling an isolated, ruined, and besieged Gaza Strip will not get Hamas closer to this objective—but building up a strong political presence in the West Bank could, and accepting the latest proposal could free Hamas to do this.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
-
In October alone, shoppers were attacked in a supermarket, a Spanish tourist was scratched by a cub at a heritage site, and a trail runner was forced to wrestle a bear in the woods before sprinting to safety.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel in response and attacked the Middle East's largest American military base in Qatar.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Those three couples represent a range of partnerships, from young, recently separated parents that are hoping for a reconciliation to longterm partners intent to work through the issues that plague such unions (think power, recognition, respect, money and more).—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Quarterback Dart and running back Skattebo have been plagued by injuries during their rookie seasons, and Daboll has been unable to find consistency in his offense.—
Thomas Schlachter,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Comments begged Kennedy to explain what caused her relationship to end.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
That begs the question of whether the Rockets need to upgrade at point guard, given their championship expectations.—
Ricardo Sandoval,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
To test if this really was a White House operation, Grace and I followed one of the trucks out of the golf course, past the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, to a path that normally leads to the White House but was blockaded.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Britain was France’s most persistent opponent and was determined to control the seas, especially in the face of Napoleon’s efforts to blockade the country.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Eaton and Palisades Fires afflicted every class and demographic group.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Illness and job losses left Allen Gray vulnerable to a problem that afflicts thousands of Cincinnati seniors.—
Dan Horn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Meta and TikTok have petitioned to have the suit dropped; the courts have thrown these petitions out.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025
-
In September 2017, Singer petitioned the clerk of Palm Beach County to legally change his name to Hunter Barrett Scott.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
However, that changed once Russia began encircling Pokrovsk over the summer.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Russia has for many months been attempting to encircle Pokrovsk and neighboring Myrnohrad from the north and south.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
German far-right influencer applies for asylum in US A prominent far-right German activist and influencer is seeking political asylum in the US, arguing she is being persecuted at home for her beliefs.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Langkawi, Malaysia Reuters — The number of people confirmed dead after a boat carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya community sank near the Thailand-Malaysia border rose to 11 on Monday, authorities said, with about 70 people believed to have been on board the capsized vessel.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share