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
Landslide in western Sudan kills at least 1,000 A landslide in western Sudan killed at least 1,000 people, intensifying hardship in a country besieged by years of civil war.
—
Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Validated Insights To even the most casual observer, these must feel like belligerent times in higher education – surrounded by fires, besieged, and under crushing market pressures all at once.
—Derek Newton, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
In recent months, the Kennedy Center has been besieged by performance cancelations both voluntary and involuntary.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 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
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 National Rally took the lead in the first round of parliamentary votes but was besieged by scandal among its candidates, including a woman who appeared in a photo wearing a World War II-era Nazi officer cap.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 21 Feb. 2025
So people are now facing the choice between staying in the camp to die from hunger, or risk their lives by moving through Darfur areas besieged by the RSF, Suliman said.
—Gabe Joselow, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2025
The two girls shared their perspectives on a recent national controversy that has besieged their community caused by a trans athlete competing on the girls' cross country team.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 31 Jan. 2025
Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Validated Insights To even the most casual observer, these must feel like belligerent times in higher education – surrounded by fires, besieged, and under crushing market pressures all at once.
—Derek Newton, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
In recent months, the Kennedy Center has been besieged by performance cancelations both voluntary and involuntary.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 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
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 National Rally took the lead in the first round of parliamentary votes but was besieged by scandal among its candidates, including a woman who appeared in a photo wearing a World War II-era Nazi officer cap.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 21 Feb. 2025
So people are now facing the choice between staying in the camp to die from hunger, or risk their lives by moving through Darfur areas besieged by the RSF, Suliman said.
—Gabe Joselow, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2025
The two girls shared their perspectives on a recent national controversy that has besieged their community caused by a trans athlete competing on the girls' cross country team.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 31 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
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Egypt is Gaza’s only access to the outside world as Israel has blockaded the territory from the land, sea and air.—
Becky Anderson,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
-
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
Verb
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This particular finding presents a more nuanced framing of gun violence and challenges dominant narratives about Chicago’s violence that have plagued the city’s reputation for decades.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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The study also pinpointed a bacterium that plagued these colossal ice age creatures.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Heuermann's defense team petitioned the judge to exclude the evidence, arguing that whole genome sequencing is not widely accepted by the scientific community.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
-
But when Curaleaf petitioned the state for permission to begin outdoor cultivation in hoop houses, state regulators told the company that solid walls and ceilings were required.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tonges, who before Sunday’s game had never caught a regular-season pass, attacked the ball and gave San Francisco the lead.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The occurrences grew more aggressive over time, with the Smurls' 75-pound German shepherd getting slammed into a wall and Jack getting attacked while praying.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Thomas was afflicted by health troubles on the 26-56 Nets last year.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The World Health Organization states that in 2021 alone, nearly 57 million people were afflicted with some form of dementia.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At one point, older brother Jason, an NFL player himself by then, called Jones and begged him to give Kelce another chance.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Rusev set up the steel chair in the turnbuckle as Sheamus begged Rusev to kick him.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Original concepts include mazes set in a demonic version of the Old West, a life-sized toybox full of twisted dolls and a frozen Northern town beleaguered by monsters.—
Julie Tremaine,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His deportation to El Salvador violated a 2019 court order that protected him from being deported to his home country because of concerns that he’d be persecuted by violent gangs.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Criminals are to be persecuted.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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