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
After jumping out to a 9-2 start this season, the Phoenix Suns have sputtered over the past month as injuries have besieged their Big Three.
—
Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
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.
—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
Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
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.
—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
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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For example, the same researchers at Cornell University who invented the new goggles have previously shown a reduction in blood flow in the brains of mice afflicted with the condition.Michael Franco, New Atlas, 29 Dec. 2024
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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
Verb
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Ruby was arrested in 2023, after her young son fled the home of her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, and begged a neighbor for help.Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2025
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While the leaguewide free agent pool isn’t as enticing as 2024’s selection of players, the appeal could still be present for a fanbase that has begged for outside talent in recent seasons.Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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One of the officers who was assaulted was Brian Sicknick.Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 5 Jan. 2025
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When the large group showed up and confronted the victim, one underage student allegedly assaulted him while Brainard laughed, as caught in campus videos cited by police in the documents, per WVCB.Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near besieged
Cite this Entry
“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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