1
as in blockading
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 plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
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3
as in petitioning
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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Recent Examples of besieging
Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.
—
Aya Batrawy, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
And while politicians know that there are costs to besieging an independent central bank – financial markets may react negatively or inflation may flare up – short-term control of a powerful policy tool can prove irresistible.
—Ana Carolina Garriga, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
Also great for very, very expensively besieging castles.
—Evan Ackermanerico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2016
Aya Batrawy, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
And while politicians know that there are costs to besieging an independent central bank – financial markets may react negatively or inflation may flare up – short-term control of a powerful policy tool can prove irresistible.
—Ana Carolina Garriga, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
Also great for very, very expensively besieging castles.
—Evan Ackermanerico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieging
Verb
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But others describe the reality of the early weeks, where discussion was completely hampered by Israel's insistence on fully blockading aid into Gaza.—
Tom Bowman,
NPR,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Pearsall appeared to have reaggravated his knee injury that was plaguing him all week, and he was pulled from the game.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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The book, some Democrats say, is exacerbating the tension that has been plaguing Democrats.—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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So local residents raised the funds instead, with the Prescott Kiwanis Club petitioning citizens to buy $1 shares of the hotel, ultimately raising a total of $150,000.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
24 Sep. 2025
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The investor reaction isn’t surprising given the constant thrum of anti-vaccine misinformation since the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Kennedy’s own role through the Children’s Defense Fund back in May 2021 in petitioning the federal government to revoke authorization of COVID-19 vaccines.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Teams found a way to negate Forest’s counter-attacking style.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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And more so than most nights, the Bengals' offensive identity for a long first-half stretch seemed to hinge on attacking quick underneath routes to open up shots to Higgins -- or Chase -- on Moss.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Americans live shorter lives than their European equivalents, McClatchy News reported in April, but the trend of stagnant life expectancy appears to be afflicting European nations the same, according to the study.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sequins, rhinestones, and that dazzling aqua-orange palette are practically begging to be worn, danced in, and yes, painted right onto our nails.—
Abby Dupes,
Allure,
26 Sep. 2025
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Hours earlier, his team was begging us & the Adams campaign to join their publicity stunt lawsuit against @ABC7.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The designs feature a star with water and green hills; a whale in water with a white bird underneath; and three turkey feathers encircling a chickadee.—
Chris Van Buskirk,
Boston Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
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In the image from 1984, Prow Knob is almost entirely surrounded by the Alsek Glacier, but by 1999, the glacier had retreated, encircling only half of the mountain.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besieging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieging. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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