1
a
: a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender
b
: a persistent or serious attack (as of illness)
2
obsolete
: a seat of distinction : throne
see also:
sieged; sieging
Examples of siege in a Sentence
Noun
The castle was built to withstand a siege.
The city is in a state of siege.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
State officials downplayed the threat of a prolonged siege, dismissing the prospect of weekly disruptions as standard white noise.
—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Moreover, the Geneva Conventions themselves do not require a sieging party to allow in aid when it will be commandeered by the enemy or provide a military advantage, both of which are indisputably the case with Hamas in Gaza.
—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for siege
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Noun
Death threats and doxxing and a siege on leadership — or lack thereof — are the discourse.
—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
State officials downplayed the threat of a prolonged siege, dismissing the prospect of weekly disruptions as standard white noise.
—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Verb
This remote sieging tactic has been enabled by advances in Ukrainian drone technology.
—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Moreover, the Geneva Conventions themselves do not require a sieging party to allow in aid when it will be commandeered by the enemy or provide a military advantage, both of which are indisputably the case with Hamas in Gaza.
—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for siege
Cite this Entry
“Siege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/siege. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
siege
noun1
: the placing of an army around a fortified place or city to force it to surrender
2
: a lasting attack (as of illness)
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