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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieges
Verb
-
The tubing with inline emitters, shown at bottom, encircles a citrus.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026 -
The polar jet stream is a ribbon of air that encircles the Northern Hemisphere at high altitudes and determines atmospheric pressure patterns.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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But, more than any of her daring work in lesser movies, the question begs, for what?—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Fingal, a more scholarly type, begs to differ.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The president frequently attacks the former FBI director because of his role in investigating alleged ties between the president's 2016 campaign and Russia.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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The movement from Odegaard and Zubimendi towards the ball occupies Willock and Guimaraes, while White attacks the space vacated by the Newcastle captain and Havertz drops to provide a passing option.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And as a fight over the reauthorization of a key national security surveillance law plagues the lower chamber, moving forward with the DHS funding hasn't appeared to be a top priority.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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The reclined riding position spreads body weight evenly, eliminating the back, neck, and wrist strain that plagues conventional cycling.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 20,
New Atlas,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Consider osteoarthritis, which afflicts roughly 33 million Americans by gradually wearing down cartilage in the joints.—
Bryan T. Kelly,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Regeneron also gained Food and Drug Administration approval on April 23 for its gene therapy, Otarmeni, which will be prescribed to treat a rare type of hearing loss that afflicts about 50 newborns in the United States each year.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Besieges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieges. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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