besieges

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieges
Verb
  • Instead of a mountain of mounded mulch, aim for more of a doughnut shape of mulch that encircles the trunk.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway is a looped route, one that meanders through the Chattahoochee National Forest and encircles the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Victor quickly apologizes for his past cruelty and begs the Creature for his forgiveness in the film’s final few moments.
    Yasmeen Hamadeh, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
  • That begs the question of whether the Rockets need to upgrade at point guard, given their championship expectations.
    Ricardo Sandoval, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Berkley’s dies by suicide by jumping off a balcony outside their office window; Simpson’s goes crazy and attacks her ex with sulfuric acid.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Nov. 2025
  • For this new study in particular, the researchers focused on the 5FU, which often both fails to reach cancer cells efficiently and attacks healthy tissue—causing side effects like nausea, fatigue and, in rare cases, even heart failure.
    Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • When an unexpected event takes him back to his hometown, he is reunited with his mother and old friends but also confronted by the corruption that plagues his country, sparking a political awakening.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Chapman’s tenure at the SBC Executive Committee from 1992 to 2009 encountered similar economic and political headwinds that plagues the SBC today, yet many Southern Baptists remember that time for Chapman’s determination to push past those hurdles for the sake of growing local churches.
    Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widespread – from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast.
    Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Illness and job losses left Allen Gray vulnerable to a problem that afflicts thousands of Cincinnati seniors.
    Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Recent research finds a similar curse afflicts National Football League teams that compete to acquire one of the top picks in its annual draft of new players.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Her seemingly naive caregiver prays for guidance in her duties, with Clark evoking Sissy Spacek's Carrie White in her apparent unworldliness.
    Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Think about your circle and their strengths — who cooks, who organizes, who prays, who can help with new hair, wig or makeup?
    Essence, Essence, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The White House told ProPublica that anyone who assaults federal immigration agents would be prosecuted.
    Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point.
    Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
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 17 Nov. 2025.

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