besieged

Definition of besiegednext
past tense of besiege
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

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 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 When news circulated about the gathering, Temple Emanu-El was besieged with inquiries from the local media. Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026 The interview takes a bad turn when the Ralph Lauren office building is besieged by the tabloid mob. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
  • The Iran war has shaken the world economy by disrupting energy production and shipping, as the key chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz, remains blockaded.
    Emily Canal, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
  • In recent months, the administration has blockaded Cuba’s oil supply at a time the island is undergoing a profound humanitarian crisis.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Corruption cases reminiscent of the scandals that plagued the political elite that Milei vowed to overthrow have added to his challenges, with his close ally and chief of staff, Manuel Adorni, now under investigation for the misuse of public funds.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Despite the child molestation claims that plagued Jackson for decades, his fans have demonstrated a number of times that the answer is yes.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • As recently as March, a number of artists including Travis Scott, Young Thug, and Killer Mike had petitioned the Supreme Court to halt the execution.
    Walden Green, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
  • Several physicians and the Children’s Health Defense, a vaccine-skeptical group founded by Kennedy that has petitioned the court to enter the case, submitted an appeal arguing that the new charter changed the course of the trial.
    Anil Oza, STAT, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • When the newlyweds arrive home, they are attacked by Naz and his henchman (played by Matt Willig).
    Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 27 Apr. 2026
  • On Friday, April 24, cattle breeder Santiago Barrero San Román was attacked by the bull at the San Marcos Festival in the remote southern Spanish town of Beas de Segura, according to El País, ABC and La Razón.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 27 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
  • Once diagnosed, pancreatic cancer has been a death sentence for those afflicted in the vast majority of cases.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The zoo’s management wanted to put Ziggy down, but Lewis begged that the sentence be commuted to life imprisonment, indoors.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Reigns tossed Punk from the announce table onto the ground as the referee begged for both competitors to get back into the ring.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Republicans have not won a statewide election since 2006 and some hoped Swalwell’s controversy would fuel voters already beleaguered by the cost of living to consider supporting GOP candidates this year.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The gig plays to her strengths, while her tenure as Kohl's CEO was rockier and beleaguered by activists.
    Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 9 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

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Cite this Entry

“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 4 May. 2026.

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