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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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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Recent Examples of besiege
Ten were cut when the Goths besieged Rome in A.D. 537, and today, their tunnels still snake beneath the modern city and for miles around, although they have never been properly mapped.
—
Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025
Maria accepts the role; because of her age, Christine has to sign a waiver, and Maria is next seen witnessing a scrum of paparazzi besieging Marlon Brando (played by Matt Dillon) on location.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
In recent days, Tesla showrooms in the U.S. have been besieged by protesters and vehicles vandalized on the street.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
At the start of the invasion, Russian troops besieged the city, forcing residents to endure harsh winter conditions without electricity or water under constant shelling from Russian artillery, missiles and drones.
—Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025
Maria accepts the role; because of her age, Christine has to sign a waiver, and Maria is next seen witnessing a scrum of paparazzi besieging Marlon Brando (played by Matt Dillon) on location.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
In recent days, Tesla showrooms in the U.S. have been besieged by protesters and vehicles vandalized on the street.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
At the start of the invasion, Russian troops besieged the city, forcing residents to endure harsh winter conditions without electricity or water under constant shelling from Russian artillery, missiles and drones.
—Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for besiege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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Korematsu was just 22 years old and working hard to expand his family’s flower nursery outside San Francisco when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.—
Lauren Stienstra,
Time,
17 Apr. 2025
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Every American should reject the president's and his cronies' illegitimate use of government power to attack his enemies.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Puerto Rico is frequently plagued by power outages, with the most recent island-wide event on New Year's Eve taking days to resolve.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Now a depth arm in the organization who was called up from triple-A Oklahoma City for a spot start Wednesday, Miller’s first MLB outing of 2025 mirrored the struggles that plagued him over the rest of 2024.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In turn, Julian begged his ex to destroy the incriminating papers for the sake of their family.—
Sabienna Bowman,
People.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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The other woman begs her not to, but Sofia is determined.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Not including last year, students blockaded or occupied the university academic building again at least four more times since then, according to the university’s website.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2025
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The Confederate States, blockaded by Union forces, faced severe shortages of critical war materials, including gunpowder.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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As inflation, tariffs, and other economic woes start afflicting the working class, Americans must not ignore the quiet rumble of tax reform on Capitol Hill, which poses additional concerns for those who are already struggling -- especially the most financially vulnerable among us.—
Jack Salmon,
National Review,
14 Apr. 2025
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For instance, if your potatoes and tomatoes are afflicted with black spot, don't plant your rose in the vegetable garden.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Though her lawyer successfully petitioned a judge to prevent Ozturk from being removed from Massachusetts, records show federal authorities flew her to a detention facility in Louisiana in violation of that court order.—
Orlando Sentinel and Virginian Pilot Editorial Boards,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
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After weeks of negotiations directly with the buyers, and more than a year of fighting via legal channels, Taylor agreed not to petition a federal court to vacate an arbitration ruling that said Rodriguez and Lore didn’t violate the terms of their original agreement as Taylor had claimed.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Kanda, a small town encircled by mountains on Japan’s southeast coast, is hundreds of miles from any major centers of business or politics.—
River Akira Davis,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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The dial blends with the knurled platinum bezel encircling the 36mm stainless steel case.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Sold to the public as increasing transparency, the legislation has been utilized to persecute Georgia’s opposition and arrest dissidents with impunity.—
Anastasiya Zavyalova,
The Conversation,
28 Mar. 2025
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Again, none of these Beautiful People ever thought of assisting Americans who were being persecuted by the Deep State these last few years before Jan. 20.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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