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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Witnesses report that other vehicles besides Good's were blockading unmarked immigration agent vehicles with their emergency LED lights activated.—
Dana Kelley,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
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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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To Camarda, the heat shield problem is one symptom of a widespread ailment plaguing NASA that took root in the shuttle era.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
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And scientists know that the bacterium that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum, has been plaguing humans for centuries, if not millennia.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The chapter, East Chicago 3046-B, resurrected itself in November 2024 after nearly a decade by petitioning the state NAACP and was regranted its charter in February, its president, Benita White Arnold, said.—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2026
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About 1,000 companies are petitioning the court to scrap the tariffs.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Vardan Kostanyan, who owns Laundry King with his wife, said the suspect walked into their laundromat on Tuesday and demanded the keys to their safe before attacking his wife.—
Lauren Pozen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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He has also been accused of attacking authorities with explosives.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Osula is out with a foot injury which has been afflicting him for most of the season.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Other geopolitical threats afflicting OPEC+ nations continue to simmer.—
Grant Smith,
Fortune,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of calling and begging somebody else to change.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
21 Jan. 2026
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Nearly two decades into her career, Courtney Marie Andrews remains a troubadour of singular sincerity, more interested in listening to the world than begging the world to listen.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The original Imperial Hotel, an icon of the encircling Ginza neighborhood, was constructed in 1923 by Frank Lloyd Wright.—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
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The silhouette also included a slender strap encircling the ankle.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump has repeatedly alleged that the South African government is actively persecuting white citizens, particularly farmers.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Besieging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieging. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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