1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of beset
Budgetary shortfalls have beset other large cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.
—
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
But all was not well in America in 1976, in the aftermath of the unpopular Vietnam War and the presidential scandal that was Watergate, and beset by soaring gasoline prices amid crisis in the Middle East.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
While the mistake went undetected, the transportation program was beset by fraud, and its costs tripled to $303 million a year.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2026
In the wake of the extinction, on a planet beset by extreme swings in climate, with long periods of searing heat and brutal drought, Lystrosaurus flourished, becoming the most abundant terrestrial vertebrate around.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beset
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
But all was not well in America in 1976, in the aftermath of the unpopular Vietnam War and the presidential scandal that was Watergate, and beset by soaring gasoline prices amid crisis in the Middle East.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
While the mistake went undetected, the transportation program was beset by fraud, and its costs tripled to $303 million a year.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2026
In the wake of the extinction, on a planet beset by extreme swings in climate, with long periods of searing heat and brutal drought, Lystrosaurus flourished, becoming the most abundant terrestrial vertebrate around.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beset
Verb
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The tennis elbows that forced him to miss the first few months of the 2025 season still require maintenance, and he’s been plagued by various lower-body injuries throughout his Yankees career.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Pablo Escobar's reign of terror didn't end with his death and continues today in the form of a horde of hippos plaguing the Colombian countryside.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Democrats have attacked these anti-fraud policies as an effort to undermine safety net programs for the impoverished.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The latest war erupted on March 2, when, after holding its fire since a 2024 truce, Hezbollah launched a surprise barrage of missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for the United States and Israel attacking Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
And so what was once out of bounds continued to move within the Pale, and a scourge went on afflicting politicians and groypers and, yes, comedians alike.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Karzoun was assaulted near a shopping area on North Eagleville Road in the early morning hours after the large party was broken up at Carriage House by Connecticut State Police and the UConn Police Department.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Allen is facing federal charges including assaulting a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence, with additional charges possible.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Miami Dolphins cleaned house this offseason, then raided the Packers’ to figure out their new direction.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Douglas Hiatt, a longtime Seattle marijuana defense attorney, recalled the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and ’90s, when police regularly raided grow operations designed to support patients.—
Gene Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a similar vein, the Business section featured an article on our inequitable national tax structure, which enables the wealthy to grow their wealth while most people, besieged by income taxes and rising property taxes, struggle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The visit of King Charles, 77, with Queen Camilla, 78, comes only days after a gunman stormed the White House Correspondents Dinner that the president was attending.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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Cole Tomas Allen, 31, who hails from Torrance, CA, allegedly tried to storm the annual event at the Washington Hilton in the nation’s capital while wielding guns.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beset. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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