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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.
—
Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
The Kings, who snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, have been besieged by injuries this season.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The operation goes awry when one of the Black Hawk helicopters is brought down and its crew, including Durant (Ron Eldard), killed or besieged.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026
Destruction in Mariupol At the start of the war, Russian forces besieged Mariupol before the port city fell in May 2022.
—Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
The Kings, who snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, have been besieged by injuries this season.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The operation goes awry when one of the Black Hawk helicopters is brought down and its crew, including Durant (Ron Eldard), killed or besieged.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026
Destruction in Mariupol At the start of the war, Russian forces besieged Mariupol before the port city fell in May 2022.
—Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
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
-
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
-
The deck space is bliss for morning coffee moments, and the firepit is begging for s’mores.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
1 May 2026
-
But, more than any of her daring work in lesser movies, the question begs, for what?—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
There's no question that the United States has a credible threat of force, but the blockade really blockades ourselves as well as Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
With no end in sight to US and Iranian efforts to blockade the channel, alarms are ringing louder over the consequences to the global economy.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
24 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
-
The city of Meriden is also petitioning to retain custody of the two cats with a hearing scheduled for Friday at the Meriden Superior Court.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In 2009, after petitioning the court to have her ailing father placed under a conservatorship, Catherine was permitted to visit Peter Falk, who was suffering from dementia.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The country's National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled Hezbollah fighters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The country’s National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, include near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled fighters with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.—
Samy Magdy,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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