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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Recent Examples of besieged
The Adams administration was besieged with corruption at every level—the Blackness of the perpetrators was of no solace.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Don Lemon also enjoyed a standing ovation and was besieged by people all night to express their gratitude and support after he was arrested and charged for an anti-ICE protest just two days before.
—Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
The President demoted Greg Bovino, the commanding agent in charge of the roving patrols that have besieged Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minneapolis.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Coach Kyle Shanahan’s ninth season, besieged by injuries to star players, ended with a wild-card win at defending champion Philadelphia before a 41-6 suffocation in Seattle.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
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
Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Don Lemon also enjoyed a standing ovation and was besieged by people all night to express their gratitude and support after he was arrested and charged for an anti-ICE protest just two days before.
—Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
The President demoted Greg Bovino, the commanding agent in charge of the roving patrols that have besieged Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minneapolis.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Coach Kyle Shanahan’s ninth season, besieged by injuries to star players, ended with a wild-card win at defending champion Philadelphia before a 41-6 suffocation in Seattle.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
-
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
-
At first, Israel blockaded Gaza entirely, against the United States’ wishes.—
Andrew P. Miller,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Staffing shortages have plagued the grocery industry since the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Exploding power lines evoked the electrical outages that have plagued Puerto Rico in recent years.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In 1899, a French entrepreneur named Gustave-Émile Dumoutier petitioned Hanoi’s local government, then a colonial possession of France, to develop a stately hotel on the corner of Henri-Rivière boulevard.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
With the Second Circuit’s ruling, Flores petitioned Caproni to reconsider her decision to toss his claims against the Dolphins.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The book's Japanese translator was murdered, and others associated with it were attacked.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Because as Bam Adebayo attacked a second-quarter offensive rebound with seemingly nothing but open air space toward the rim, teammate Kel’el Ware had similar thoughts of contesting that same carom of that Davion Mitchell errant attempt.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Embarrassment could have been a factor in the rash decision, but Trump is not a man who appears to be afflicted by that particular emotion, which takes its cue from a certain amount of self-awareness and humility.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Thus, taxpayers are often stuck financing underperforming government programs riddled with waste and outright fraud, as was the case in the recent $30 billion scandal that afflicted the state’s unemployment insurance program.—
Lanhee J. Chen,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a packed auditorium Wednesday night at the Idaho State Capitol, dozens of people with voices shaking and tears in their eyes begged lawmakers to hear their stories.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
-
At Dilley, Maria begged to be reunited with her cat, Milo.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The agricultural economy, beleaguered by rising productions costs and low commodity prices, is expected to be facing losses for the fourth consecutive year in 2026.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Local authorities were outnumbered and beleaguered.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Trump has promised to help rescue the country’s persecuted protesters as thousands died.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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