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
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
In early 1968, for instance, North Vietnamese troops besieged U.S. marines at Khe Sanh in an important battle of the Vietnam War.
—Paul Avey, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
Consumers are besieged nearly every day about some news about Elon Musk’s latest moves at the Department of Government Efficiency to gain access to government records that contain sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers.
—Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
The series, which also stars Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten and Deanna Allison, follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon), Jim Chee (Gordon) and Bernadette Manuelito (Matten) of the Navajo Tribal Police solving mysteries on their reservation as it is besieged by increasingly violent crimes in the 1970s.
—Peter White, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2025
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for besiege
Verb
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Aged 30, Makelele had been converted from an attacking midfielder to a deep-lying, anchoring midfielder that would protect his back line and hoover up any defensive actions that came anywhere near his orbit.—
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Cena aligned himself with The Rock, attacking Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes after Rhodes turned down The Rock's offer.—
Verb
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The firm works heavily with the community surrounding the market and carries a mission to identify and establish alternatives to the pitfalls plaguing fashion’s current business model including overproduction and greenwashing.—
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The community support comes at an apartment complex that both residents say is plagued with drugs and violence.—
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But like my friend who only visits any place once for a peek, those sights may not beg a second visit.—
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That included claims that Dorit's estranged husband, Paul Kemsley, had staged their 2021 home invasion in which Dorit begged for the safety of their children's lives as she was held at gunpoint.—
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.—
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The Confederate States, blockaded by Union forces, faced severe shortages of critical war materials, including gunpowder.—
Verb
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In the first trailer for Universal’s live-action reimagining of Dreamworks’ 2010 film How to Train Your Dragon, there’s no hint that the CGI is going in the gritty, overly lifelike direction that has afflicted other live-action remakes of years past.—
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In a state and city so afflicted by the culture of corruption, as the Tribune reported exhaustively last year in a series of pieces tracing our sordid history, federal prosecutors have played an indispensable role in unearthing these stories and making our politicians pay for abusing their offices.—
Verb
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How Did Natalia Grace Meet The Mans Family? Natalia’s birth records initially stated she was born in 2003, but two years after adopting her, the Barnetts petitioned a Marion County court to amend her Ukrainian documents, changing her birth year to 1989 and her age to 22.—
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After his mother died without a will, Homer Laffoon, then 20, successfully petitioned the court to be named administrator for her estate.—
Verb
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All of these stones were encircled in frames of gold.—
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This piece shows what the brand does best with a clean and minimal typeface encircled by a bent plywood frame.—
Verb
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The Roman authorities persecuted Christians harshly, subjecting them to torture and deaths even more gruesome than crucifixion.—
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The former president has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and says he's being politically persecuted.—
Cite this Entry
“Besiege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besiege. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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