besieges

verb

present tense third-person singular of besiege
1
as in encircles
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 persecutes
to cause persistent suffering to a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in begs
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieges
  1. encircles
  2. persecutes
  3. begs
  4. attacks
  5. plagues
  6. petitions
  7. blockades
  8. afflicts
Verb
  • The paint color that encircles the wallpaper is important, but Chloe Redmond Warner says the bread should be the least exciting part of this sandwich.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The butterfly encircles Larsson's eye, with its wings spanning the whole area from her inner brow to well past its tip.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 July 2026
Definition of encircles
Verb
  • China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.
    — Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Definition of persecutes
Verb
  • The novel, inarguably ambitious in scope, begs questions of form and content, and the possibilities and pitfalls of publishing outside traditional pathways.
    — Keziah Weir, Vanity Fair, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The warm waffle can be filled with matcha, strawberry soft serve or a swirl of both, then dressed up Pocky sticks for a dessert that practically begs for a photo before the first bite.
    — Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of begs
Verb
  • Greenidge, an award-winning public historian, refuted all charges, and told the New York Times that attacks on her scholarship were racially motivated.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • However, when Duffy attacks Marcus during a confrontation with Slough House agents, Louisa hits the chief of the Dogs in the head, leaving him in a coma.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • Too often, this means taxpayer dollars are fueling the very gun violence that plagues neighborhoods and communities nationwide.
    — Kris Brown, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Odd moment plagues fourth quarter As the Knicks held on to their fairly sizable lead, a fan ran onto the court, tried to take a selfie with Wembanyama but was quickly apprehended by security.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Definition of plagues
Verb
  • However, if someone petitions the court, a judge could order the HOA into a receivership.
    — Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026
  • The film hands off its plot like a baton, passing from this dissatisfied shopper to a factory owner to her dead daughter-in-law (another ghost) who petitions the government for her civil rights despite being in the body of an appliance.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Definition of petitions
Verb
  • There's no question that the United States has a credible threat of force, but the blockade really blockades ourselves as well as Iran.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
  • As the United States military blockades the Strait of Hormuz fuel prices rose above $100 dollars a barrel.
    — Contessa Brewer,Dawn Giel, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of blockades
Verb
  • That means protections for those who have been vaccinated will weaken and wane as the disease afflicts those who haven’t, threatening public health as a whole.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Advertisement Mission hijacking in the nonprofit space A similar overcrowding afflicts the pro-democracy space today.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
Definition of afflicts
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Besieges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieges. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of besieges for Spanish Speakers

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