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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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 wealthiest man in the world used his social media platform X to amplify the unrest, and GOP lawmakers were besieged with phone calls to their offices telling them to oppose the plan.
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Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024
In spring 2013, as the suffering and despair spread, al-Abbasi and her husband made a small but generous donation to a family from a city besieged by the government.
—Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
That facility, which the chief of the World Health Organization says still has 96 patients, remains besieged by Israeli forces operating in the area, and CNN reported that a hospital official said four doctors were among dozens killed around the compound on Friday.
—Juwayriah Wright, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The hero is a guy named Kash who valiantly rises to the defense of King Donald, who’s being besieged by Hillary Queenton.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
Since then, Putin has sought instead to rally the public to the defense of a motherland besieged by the perfidious and cunning West.
—Leon Aron, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
Indeed, at a time when tropical forests and grasslands are besieged by farming, mining, and other threats, birdwatching tourism offers a real incentive to keep ecosystems intact.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 4 Dec. 2024
The breach marked the first time opposition forces besieged the city since 2016, when they were driven out of Aleppo’s eastern neighborhoods during a military operation in which Syrian troops were supported by Russia and Iran.
—NBC News, 30 Nov. 2024
More to Read Southern California is suddenly besieged by fire.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024
In spring 2013, as the suffering and despair spread, al-Abbasi and her husband made a small but generous donation to a family from a city besieged by the government.
—Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
That facility, which the chief of the World Health Organization says still has 96 patients, remains besieged by Israeli forces operating in the area, and CNN reported that a hospital official said four doctors were among dozens killed around the compound on Friday.
—Juwayriah Wright, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
The hero is a guy named Kash who valiantly rises to the defense of King Donald, who’s being besieged by Hillary Queenton.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
Since then, Putin has sought instead to rally the public to the defense of a motherland besieged by the perfidious and cunning West.
—Leon Aron, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
Indeed, at a time when tropical forests and grasslands are besieged by farming, mining, and other threats, birdwatching tourism offers a real incentive to keep ecosystems intact.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 4 Dec. 2024
The breach marked the first time opposition forces besieged the city since 2016, when they were driven out of Aleppo’s eastern neighborhoods during a military operation in which Syrian troops were supported by Russia and Iran.
—NBC News, 30 Nov. 2024
More to Read Southern California is suddenly besieged by fire.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
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Just a few months prior, Blackbeard and his small pirate flotilla had blockaded Charleston, South Carolina, for close to a week.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024
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Military vehicles and local and state police blockaded the route into the town center.Jessica Pishko, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Last week, Hochman removed two deputy district attorneys who had petitioned to have the brothers’ sentences reduced from the post-conviction unit.David Matthews, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
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Earlier this month, his legal team petitioned the Indiana Supreme Court to halt the execution, but the request was denied, clearing the way for the state to proceed.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The site has previously been attacked by Ukrainian drones.David Hambling, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
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Two months after the end of the Korean War, the United States signed a bilateral mutual security treaty with South Korea in which Washington committed to come to Seoul’s aid if it were attacked.Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Terrified, the patient almost reflexively asked her surgeon to remove both of her breasts, even though the cancer afflicted only one side.Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2024
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The antisemitism controversy that afflicted Documenta in 2022 largely went unmentioned in the announcement of Beckwith’s appointment, though Timon Gremmels, the Minister of State for Science and Research for the state of Hesse, briefly alluded to it in his statement.Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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On October 4, a letter signed by 42 different companies and nonprofits—from the American Mountain Guides Association, to Montana’s Bridger Bowl Ski Area, to Colorado Mountain Club—begged Moore to allow the avalanche centers to remain fully-staffed.Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 23 Dec. 2024
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According to Salazar-Hinojosa, her husband begged immigration authorities to please not take his family away from him.Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In several of the robberies, the gang also assaulted their victim and threatened them with a knife or a gun, police said.Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 23 Dec. 2024
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The three correctional officers who responded to the initial assault were also assaulted by the perpetrator before additional staff secured him, Todd said.Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 22 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near besieged
Cite this Entry
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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