beset; besetting
1
: to set or stud with or as if with ornaments
a crown beset with rubies
… leaves, whose edges were beset with thorns …—
J. G. Frazer
J. G. FrazerExamples of beset in a Sentence
A lack of money is the greatest problem besetting the city today.
he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life
Recent Examples on the Web
United, in contrast, are a club beset by debt and a club making redundancies at will (Laurie Whitwell revealed yesterday that another pair of senior departures are pending).
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 May 2025
While South Vietnamese politics were often beset by instability and corruption, the idea of a non-Communist republican government based in the South enjoyed widespread support from the general public—even if that public often bemoaned their political leaders.
— Made By History, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
But in a country beset by wide economic inequalities, many Panamanians are questioning what citizens have gained from managing the iconic trade route themselves.
—Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025
Still, the logistical parallels — in a world beset by evil, peace exists to be shattered — holds well enough.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beset
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.
Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 May 2025
While South Vietnamese politics were often beset by instability and corruption, the idea of a non-Communist republican government based in the South enjoyed widespread support from the general public—even if that public often bemoaned their political leaders.
— Made By History, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
But in a country beset by wide economic inequalities, many Panamanians are questioning what citizens have gained from managing the iconic trade route themselves.
—Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025
Still, the logistical parallels — in a world beset by evil, peace exists to be shattered — holds well enough.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beset
Cite this Entry
“Beset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beset. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share