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
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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
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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
The militants at the time besieged it for months before being pushed back.
—
Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
But the editors and unpaid reviewers who act as guardians of the scientific literature are newly besieged.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
But when a mysterious woman named Ruth (Huston) arrives, their plans unravel over the next terrifying twenty-four hours as they are besieged by an ominous cult — and hunted by someone, or something, lurking beneath.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
The series follows Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito of the Navajo Tribal Police solving mysteries on their reservation as it is besieged by increasingly violent crimes in the 1970s.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
But the editors and unpaid reviewers who act as guardians of the scientific literature are newly besieged.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
But when a mysterious woman named Ruth (Huston) arrives, their plans unravel over the next terrifying twenty-four hours as they are besieged by an ominous cult — and hunted by someone, or something, lurking beneath.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
The series follows Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito of the Navajo Tribal Police solving mysteries on their reservation as it is besieged by increasingly violent crimes in the 1970s.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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Mobs attacked television vans and set cars ablaze as overrun hospitals struggled to cope with scores of injured people.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The complication is not well understood but appears to be the result of the virus prompting the immune system to attack a certain protein that some brain cells produce.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In recent years, neighborhoods ranging from Hancock Park and Lincoln Heights to Mar Vista and Pico Union have been plagued by copper wire theft that darkens the streets.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Christie has been one of the most consistent Mavericks in a season plagued by inconsistency.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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The current crop, by contrast, has been begging visitors to crawl back into the light.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump last year pardoned several people convicted for blockading clinics.—
Josh Funk,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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But Senate leadership had to overcome a temporary setback as senators blockaded the legislation as leverage for their own priorities.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Loan defaults, foreclosures, and hotel property auctions due to distressed financing show that an array of ailments afflict the region’s lodging market.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Last year the Make-A-Wish Foundation flew Luke, who was afflicted with a rare life-threatening blood disorder in high school, to Denver to meet his hero.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last October, Nike petitioned to revoke or modify the subpoena.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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Charley had none of these and petitioned the court for an order to be transferred to the girls' team.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But it’s presented here with invigorating flourishes that encircle the story within specific moments in time, while also granting it a stirring dramatic transcendence.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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The rock was encircled by a whopping 58 more pink diamonds, plus one half-moon diamond on either side.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Secret Agent’s primary setting is a house full of misfits and refugees in the northeastern city of Recife, a safe harbor from those persecuted by the country’s military regime, ruled over by the inimitable Dona Sebastiana (Tânia Maria, whose role was written specifically for her).—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2026
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His previously peaceful world had been shattered when Vilna was occupied by the German army three months before and soon the Germans began to persecute and arrest Jews.—
Dr. Michael Good,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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