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
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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
Verb
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Instead, a bright ring of sunlight encircles the moon's silhouette, often called a 'ring of fire'.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
20 Feb. 2026 -
The trail encircles a large, ADA-accessible playground and also provides views of the South Bend skyline.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
4 Jan. 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
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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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That, too, begs a certain allowance.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
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In the wake of Princess Diana's death in 1997, the queen tends to affairs privately yet butts heads with Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), who begs her to address the nation.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Symptoms of measles, a virus that attacks the lungs and airways, can include fever, cough, a blotchy rash, and red, watery eyes.—
Andrew Jones,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
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Bifenthrin, which attacks an insect’s nervous system and is considered a possible human carcinogen, was found on strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, collards, celery, bok choy and green beans, according to the report.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Shifting to the execution phase By securing graphite early, the company aims to mitigate supply chain volatility that often plagues advanced nuclear projects.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Mar. 2026
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Greenblatt suggested that a major misconception of antisemitism that plagues universities is the idea that anti-Zionism is a political stance, rather than one of prejudice.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 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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His death sparked civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta and more than a dozen Mexican states, including Quintana Roo, with cars set on fire and blockades obstructing highways.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
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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
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Lupus, which afflicts some five million people worldwide, is a leading cause of death among young women.—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
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Put simply, notaming deficits through a balance of revenue increases and lower spending, but abandoning spending discipline, the curse that afflicts Europe to this day.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Besieges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieges. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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