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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to
a family besieged by worries about the faltering economy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in petitioned
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of besieged
Over the years, we were constantly besieged with inquiries.
—
Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
His most recent drama, Evil Does Not Exist, examined the natural world as besieged by modern industry.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
The Liberty sought a repeat victory in 2025 but was besieged by injuries and ultimately lost in the playoffs to the Mercury; Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP, injured her ankle and missed numerous games, while guard/forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton suffered a knee injury.
—Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026
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
Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
His most recent drama, Evil Does Not Exist, examined the natural world as besieged by modern industry.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
The Liberty sought a repeat victory in 2025 but was besieged by injuries and ultimately lost in the playoffs to the Mercury; Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP, injured her ankle and missed numerous games, while guard/forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton suffered a knee injury.
—Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
-
Iran has continued to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States has blockaded the country’s ports.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Italian police blocked the entrance to the site as the protest effectively blockaded Russia’s return for about 30 minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Her excuse was that the robbery was a sign that Preston was plagued by bad luck.—
Sabrina Reed,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Parishoners there had petitioned the diocese for a Spanish-language Mass, and Doub — who had previously ministered in Mexico and later left the priesthood — was appointed to do that at Most Holy Trinity.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
-
According to The Hill, more than 140 Democrats in April petitioned Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to restore the original bipartisan bill but were unsuccessful in their efforts.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Moments after the landscaper was attacked, officers got a call about a car in the middle of the street nearby.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
-
Denise attacked Djena again, beating her until Mohamed and their eldest son, Ahmed, pulled her off.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Nelson’s grandmother was afflicted with dementia at the time of first reading the novel while Miller Rogen’s mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 55 years old.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
Some babies died, and several of those who survived were afflicted with infections or long-term health problems, their mothers said.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
According to Panettiere, her mother instantly begged for forgiveness and tried to have the charges dropped, but to no avail.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
The customer also said that Santos begged her not to press charges.—
Penny Kmitt,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
This spring, graduates are leaving their respective alma maters and entering a job market that is beleaguered with uncertainty.—
Adam Harris,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
But their chances have appeared to improve in recent weeks as the unpopular war with Iran and stubborn affordability issues have beleaguered GOP midterm ambitions.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
My parents were supporters of the anti-apartheid movement and various family members were persecuted for being so also.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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