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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2
as in persecutes
to cause persistent suffering to a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy

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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
  • In May, the Georgia Department of Transportation closed a major section of the road, which encircles the city of Atlanta and connects much of the greater metro area, sending both intra- and interstate traffic through the city.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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
  • When Sita begs Rama to follow a demon disguised as a beautiful golden deer, Rama draws a magical protective circle around the princess and instructs her to stay within the circle’s borders.
    — Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The actress is an enormously entertaining presence, and the premise practically begs for an explosive music video finale.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of begs
Verb
  • She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, disrupting communication between the brain and the rest of the body.
    — Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Blair revealed in 2018 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder that attacks healthy cells in the central nervous system, according to the National Institutes of Health.
    — Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • The depression that plagues him in winters is nowhere to be found.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Walker, who leads the NFL with 360 rushing yards, also is adept at avoiding an issue that plagues many ball carriers and receivers in the NFL.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 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
  • Ortega brings the right wide-eyed wonder to this kindly android that just wants to be Josie’s pal, having no idea about a secret medical condition that afflicts Josie.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Speaking to Variety ahead of the market, Mackinnon says the show takes its title from the chronic burnout that afflicts emergency workers on the job.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 20 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 2026.

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