1
as in blockaded
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in petitioned
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of besieged
The Windy City is suddenly besieged by a string of bomb threats, but in the midst of all the false alarms, a real situation emerges in the form of military-grade smoke grenades, which points to a terrorist threat.
—
Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
Halladay said she’s heard from multiple doctors, including her child’s pediatrician, that they’ve been besieged with calls from parents hoping to get a prescription.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2025
International climate diplomacy, since its high-water mark at Paris, in 2015, has been besieged by the fossil-fuel industry and its proxy governments, which now include, of course, the United States, historically the Earth’s chief producer of CO2.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2025
Haiti, the soccer-loving Caribbean nation that has been besieged by gang violence and economic instability, learned on Friday which teams will be in its group for the 2026 World Cup.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Dec. 2025
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
That's the capital of North Darfur that was besieged for 500 days.
—ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
For more than a year, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has besieged El Fasher, its final major barrier to controlling Darfur.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
-
At first, Israel blockaded Gaza entirely, against the United States’ wishes.—
-
In recent weeks, JNIM has effectively blockaded Bamako, targeting critical fuel convoys and supply lines.—
Verb
-
But the hospital has been plagued by security issues in the last few years, and a contract dispute with the nurses’ union.—
-
Commentary and opinions Tim Walz isn’t the only governor plagued by fraud.—
Verb
-
Placer family court records show Dupree’s former fiancee in December 2021 petitioned and received a domestic violence restraining order against the former police officer.—
-
He was never charged and denied any wrongdoing, but LoPresto successfully petitioned to have his teaching license revoked.—
Verb
-
Rabbi Perry Nussbaum, the congregation’s leader from the 1950s to the 70s, supported civil rights activists and helped found an interracial group of clergy to help rebuild Black churches attacked by white supremacists, according to the institute.—
-
And, the dog attacked again after the owner failed to secure the dog in a separate room.—
Verb
-
Support for Bass is more mixed, with her current record containing many more failures than have afflicted either Lurie or any other recent Los Angeles mayor.—
-
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
-
On Monday, McGarva begged California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot to step in.—
-
During that time, students trapped inside called 911 and begged for help, investigators found.—
Verb
-
Original concepts include mazes set in a demonic version of the Old West, a life-sized toybox full of twisted dolls and a frozen Northern town beleaguered by monsters.—
Verb
-
Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.—
-
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
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share