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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Recent Examples of besieged
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
Destruction in Mariupol At the start of the war, Russian forces besieged Mariupol before the port city fell in May 2022.
—Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
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
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
Destruction in Mariupol At the start of the war, Russian forces besieged Mariupol before the port city fell in May 2022.
—Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
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Ministers remain haunted by events in September 2000 when former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government, with a majority as large as Starmer’s now, was rocked as farmers and hauliers blockaded refineries and fuel depots amid fury over taxes levied on petrol and diesel.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The Caribbean nation has experienced severe fuel shortages, upending daily life on the island, after the US blockaded Venezuelan oil shipments.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the revelry was also plagued with the yearly medical emergencies, arrests and public safety challenges.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Republicans and Democrats at the Capitol alike say fraud prevention is a top priority this year in the wake of scandals like the one that plagued housing stabilization services, so this is just one bill related to this topic this session.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On March 11, the Citizens Action Coalition petitioned to intervene in the IURC case.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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Black Mountain has successfully petitioned the city of Fort Worth to rezone more than 430 acres of land for its AI data center, with another roughly 80 acres’ worth of land headed to Zoning Commission and the City Council later this year after council members pumped the brakes.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Commercial traffic through the maritime chokepoint has virtually ceased since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with Iran vowing to strike any vessels associated with the two countries or their partners.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
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Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran more than two weeks ago, Tehran has regularly fired on Israel, American bases in the region, and Gulf Arab countries’ energy infrastructure with drones and missiles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The disease afflicted homosexuals, Haitians, haemophiliacs and heroin addicts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The Warriors are now 5-11 without Steph Curry, who sat courtside while afflicted with runner’s knee, and losers of four in a row.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mayor Brandon Johnson surely is looking from afar with envy, having begged Springfield for three years with no success to pass such taxes.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Oprah begged me to talk to her.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Tuesday, Midwestern states were beleaguered by strong winds, storms, reports of tornadoes and hail.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
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Still, many states’ systems were beleaguered with payout delays that continue today.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the wake of 9/11, anti-immigrant sentiments were on the rise, LGBTQ+ minorities were being persecuted, and new technological advancements threatened to wreak havoc on the world.—
Matthew Huff,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
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Chandler framed himself as an alienated artist persecuted by arbitrary strictures.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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