1
as in plagues
to cause persistent suffering to
he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacks
to take sudden, violent action against
the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besets
Verb
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So while so much of this matchup is strength versus strength, what might matter most is which team’s weakness plagues them the least.—
Daniel Popper, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
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Cinnamon has been widely touted as a cure-all for anything that plagues the garden.—
Verb
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According to the Hindu, local eyewitnesses have said that the elephant attacks mostly at night while people are sleeping, and residents have been using firecrackers and patrol teams to keep the animal away from heavily populated areas.—
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Russia attacks Ukraine with new Oreshnik ballistic missile Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with a new hypersonic ballistic missile, an advanced weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.—
Verb
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Furthermore, regulatory sclerosis afflicts housing and infrastructure.—
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Violence provided a solution but also birthed the recurring dilemma that afflicts African states today.—
Verb
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The White House told ProPublica that anyone who assaults federal immigration agents would be prosecuted.—
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The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point.—
Verb
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In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Verb
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Some owls will hunt the wildlife that raids our garbage cans, like skunks and opossums.—
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November raids By mid-November, law enforcement had collected enough evidence to conduct early-morning raids, including on North Carey Street at the home of Shawn Oliver.—
Verb
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Rebecca storms off without another word.—
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Angelica rightly storms out of this conversation and seems determined to give this guy up.—
Verb
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When severe wind strikes Southern California, the results can be destructive and deadly.—
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That shift strikes me as familiar.—
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Cite this Entry
“Besets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besets. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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