1
as in to attack
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 to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
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3
as in to beg
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 besiege
Pirro pushed back and went on to reiterate the Administration’s support for the deployments, characterizing the city as besieged by violent crime.
—
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2025
Vikings quarterbacks have been besieged by injury this year.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
The past four months have seen Kristen Cline besieged with worry about the son who went missing in Phoenix just as his life was pivoting for the better with a baby on the way.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 13 Nov. 2025
That's the capital of North Darfur that was besieged for 500 days.
—ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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Kyiv — Russia attacked Ukraine with a hypersonic Oreshnik missile overnight Thursday, a rare use of one of its most advanced weapons during the latest onslaught targeting the country amid freezing temperatures.—
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Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 242 drones and 36 missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said Friday morning.—
Verb
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And then stop the organizational dysfunction, which has plagued the team for years.—
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The program, plagued from the outset by cost overruns and delays, was paused by the ICC at the end of 2023 to conduct an investigation into the best path forward after the surcharge expired.—
Verb
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As a kid in Rochester, New York, Kane begged his parents for a dollar to play.—
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While eating at the restaurant with her parents, Black begged for her own tasty drink and the bartender whipped one up, naming it after her.—
Verb
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At first, Israel blockaded Gaza entirely, against the United States’ wishes.—
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In recent weeks, JNIM has effectively blockaded Bamako, targeting critical fuel convoys and supply lines.—
Verb
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Other geopolitical threats afflicting OPEC+ nations continue to simmer.—
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In most cases, the faithful afflicted by the evil one need only a comfortable chair (better if equipped with armrests) to accompany the exorcistic celebration.—
Verb
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Meta and TikTok have petitioned to have the suit dropped; the courts have thrown these petitions out.—
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In September 2017, Singer petitioned the clerk of Palm Beach County to legally change his name to Hunter Barrett Scott.—
Verb
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Some thought the mystery bore a direct relation to the green tangle that tightly encircled the two dozen shacks balanced precariously between the rain forest and the yellowish waters.—
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While encircled outside his locker Saturday, disappointed in the result but proud of his team’s effort, Coker answered questions about his career game.—
Verb
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Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.—
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Most commonly, people felt they were being persecuted via their electronics – that their Wi-Fi networks, computers or cellphones had been hacked or implanted with tracking devices.—
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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