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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 besieged
The Liberty sought a repeat victory in 2025 but was besieged by injuries and ultimately lost in the playoffs to the Mercury; Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP, injured her ankle and missed numerous games, while guard/forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton suffered a knee injury.
—
Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026
In a similar vein, the Business section featured an article on our inequitable national tax structure, which enables the wealthy to grow their wealth while most people, besieged by income taxes and rising property taxes, struggle.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.
—David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
When news circulated about the gathering, Temple Emanu-El was besieged with inquiries from the local media.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
The interview takes a bad turn when the Ralph Lauren office building is besieged by the tabloid mob.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
The Kings, who snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, have been besieged by injuries this season.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The operation goes awry when one of the Black Hawk helicopters is brought down and its crew, including Durant (Ron Eldard), killed or besieged.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026
Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026
In a similar vein, the Business section featured an article on our inequitable national tax structure, which enables the wealthy to grow their wealth while most people, besieged by income taxes and rising property taxes, struggle.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.
—David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
When news circulated about the gathering, Temple Emanu-El was besieged with inquiries from the local media.
—Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
The interview takes a bad turn when the Ralph Lauren office building is besieged by the tabloid mob.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
The Kings, who snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, have been besieged by injuries this season.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The operation goes awry when one of the Black Hawk helicopters is brought down and its crew, including Durant (Ron Eldard), killed or besieged.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
-
Iran has continued to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States has blockaded the country’s ports.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Italian police blocked the entrance to the site as the protest effectively blockaded Russia’s return for about 30 minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The Pistons also were plagued by turnovers (20 that led to 25 Cavaliers points) and fouling (Cleveland attempted 22 more free throws).—
Darnell Mayberry,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
The new facility replaced the detention center at 1300 Cherry Street, which is more than four decades old and had fallen into partial disrepair and had long been plagued by unsafe overcrowding and allegations of abuse and mismanagement.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
In a Miami courtroom last year, the men successfully petitioned for parental rights before the boy was even born.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
-
In October, 2024, Yotam Ben-Hillel, an Israeli human-rights lawyer, petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court on behalf of a coalition of international aid groups in an effort to force the Israeli government to address the situation.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary force, has attacked Israeli troops and targeted northern Israel with rockets and drones.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
While the man was being attacked, the woman used a shopping cart to fend off the suspect and protect the male victim.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Nelson’s grandmother was afflicted with dementia at the time of first reading the novel while Miller Rogen’s mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 55 years old.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
Some babies died, and several of those who survived were afflicted with infections or long-term health problems, their mothers said.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The crowd begged him to come out, tip his cap, take their adulation.—
Paul Hardart,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
At BookCon, readers begged and pleaded to make it off the standby line into a panel featuring Dinniman and the series’ audiobook narrator, Jeff Hays.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
But their chances have appeared to improve in recent weeks as the unpopular war with Iran and stubborn affordability issues have beleaguered GOP midterm ambitions.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
Republicans have not won a statewide election since 2006 and some hoped Swalwell’s controversy would fuel voters already beleaguered by the cost of living to consider supporting GOP candidates this year.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
Other human rights lawyers have been recently prosecuted in Russia, including Maria Bontsler, a prominent lawyer who defended individuals persecuted by politically motivated charges.—
Irwin Cotler,
Time,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
