1
as in blockaded
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 plagued
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in petitioned
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of besieged
In the adjacent room, the Shapiro team was equally besieged.
—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
The mass shooting that claimed 49 lives and injured dozens of others—the deadliest hate crime targeting LGBTQ+ people in American history—still leaves a grievous mark, most especially in a city, state and nation besieged with new attacks on the gay community.
—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
In place of the ancient forest was a shorn land besieged by uncontrollable wildfires, prone to land-slides and erosion.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Tony season in New York is a veritable marathon for theater-folk, who are besieged by invites to countless classy events in succession.
—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria.
—
Helaine Williams,
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2026
In the 41st millennium, the Imperium of Man is besieged by extraterrestrial forces of all sorts and even darker threats, but humanity's defenders are brutal and relentless, too.
—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
VidCon, the annual online video tech convention that rolls around at the end of June, will be besieged by agents and producers seeking the next great YouTube auteur.
—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
2 June 2026
Bay Area content creator Kane Parsons pushes back on conventional storytelling, and his hypnotic approach results in one of 2026’s most exhilarating debuts, a existential head trip that GoPros us into a human subconscious besieged by misshapen memories that trap and hold you hostage.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
The mass shooting that claimed 49 lives and injured dozens of others—the deadliest hate crime targeting LGBTQ+ people in American history—still leaves a grievous mark, most especially in a city, state and nation besieged with new attacks on the gay community.
—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
In place of the ancient forest was a shorn land besieged by uncontrollable wildfires, prone to land-slides and erosion.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Tony season in New York is a veritable marathon for theater-folk, who are besieged by invites to countless classy events in succession.
—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and besieged Samaria.
—
Helaine Williams,
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2026
In the 41st millennium, the Imperium of Man is besieged by extraterrestrial forces of all sorts and even darker threats, but humanity's defenders are brutal and relentless, too.
—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
VidCon, the annual online video tech convention that rolls around at the end of June, will be besieged by agents and producers seeking the next great YouTube auteur.
—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
2 June 2026
Bay Area content creator Kane Parsons pushes back on conventional storytelling, and his hypnotic approach results in one of 2026’s most exhilarating debuts, a existential head trip that GoPros us into a human subconscious besieged by misshapen memories that trap and hold you hostage.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
-
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region’s oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February.
-
Meanwhile, Lord Corlys Velaryon and his fleet have the city blockaded, while Team Black commands from Dragonstone and Daemon battles in the Riverlands and Aemond broods on the throne, which he’s taken from his maimed brother.
Verb
-
Yet within weeks of Trump declaring the rehabilitation completed in time for Independence Day, the water was plagued by a vivid green algae bloom that clouded the pool’s coating.
-
By the time of the shooting in November 1999, the 5-foot-11, 194-pound Carruth was again being plagued by injuries.
Verb
-
With an $800 daily fine soon going into effect over her 2024 civil contempt ruling, Fox News alum Catherine Herridge‘s legal team has petitioned for a stay after she was ordered to reveal her sources for her 2017 stories about Yanping Chen.
-
Eitay Mack, an Israeli lawyer who has petitioned the Israeli government to enforce controls over shipments of surveillance technology, believes Cellebrite has the capability to remotely prevent devices from operating.
Verb
-
Daga, Berto, Angel, Bronco Nima and Karmen Petrovic attacked El Grande Americano and took off their jackets to reveal their Los Perros del Mal T-shirts.
-
The prosecution said the two activists had incited a mob that subsequently attacked a security vehicle, seized the soldier and beat him to death with sticks and bricks.
Verb
-
They are both afflicted by cognitive and/or hearing issues.
-
Two-thirds of respondents afflicted with alpha-gal reported anxiety or depressive disorders in a 2025 University of Missouri survey.
Verb
-
Following the settlement, McAfee wrote to Martin to apologize, but also begged her to move on.
-
Zayn, then, begged for Rhodes’ honesty.
Verb
-
Sybil, who spent her younger years beleaguered by the presence of her double, that emblem of feminine conformity named Désirée, never manages to perceive herself as anything but abnormal by comparison.
-
Their involvement now raises the specter of another squeeze on energy markets already beleaguered by closures on the Strait of Hormuz and partly reliant on the Red Sea as an alternative passageway for energy supplies.
Verb
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In Britain, all the large predators had long since been exterminated and the smaller ones (like foxes) were ruthlessly persecuted.
-
Supporting people who have too often been, and continue to be, persecuted and othered would be a direct way to address the suffering.
Cite this Entry
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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