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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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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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Conservatives tried and failed to convince Thune to pursue a talking filibuster, an old-school way of blockading legislation that might eventually allow the SAVE America Act to pass at 50 votes.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
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Trump last year pardoned several people convicted for blockading clinics.—
Josh Funk,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Deeply troubled by the demographic and social problems plaguing the Nenets people, Nerkagi founded the Land of Hope—a tundra school for children which combines modern and traditional education and provides support to orphans and lonely elders.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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But since 2023, local municipalities have argued that the majority of ozone plaguing the cities is not their fault.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Larionov urged others to join by petitioning the court via email, and the number of plaintiffs swelled to 105.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
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About six months ago, my friend Gerry Goldberg and I co-founded the Andie’s Light campaign, petitioning the city councils of Cherry Hills Village and Greenwood Village for a traffic light at Belleview Avenue and Franklin Street.—
Jerry Presley,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are outside groups aligned with Democrats, yet much of their spending has focused on attacking Collins, rather than supporting a Democratic primary candidate.—
Steve Mistler,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
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Regardless, there’s no excuse — even in hard knocks politics — for attacking someone because of his disability.—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s the one about afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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One of the strengths of the film is a precise visual design that alternates between distance and intimacy, with Caswill using the landscapes of her Alberta location to clearly and concisely express the sense of loneliness and isolation afflicting her heroine.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Everyone in your family will be begging for seconds.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
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With poor air quality adding to an environment begging for a change, the project will demolish, redirect and streamline traffic connections between Jack London Square, Chinatown and West Alameda over the next three years.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Our beautiful encircling topography of mountains and hills is a bowl ready-made by ancient plate tectonics to be filled with smoke and smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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The rooms Spread over a handful of buildings encircling the central courtyard, Aleenta Retreat's 44 rooms range from spacious deluxe rooms with lounge-y balconies to two-story residences with two bedrooms and a small private courtyard with a plunge pool.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besieging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieging. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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