besieged

past tense of besiege
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of besieged 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 These stories and traumas are hard to overstate for Israelis, many of whom feel besieged by hostile actors willing their eradication. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2024 Archaeologists have just uncovered an ancient city that the Roman army so thoroughly besieged that it was left uninhabited for nearly 200 years. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024 Will younger generations be interested in working in firms who have leaders with questionable morals or fields besieged by negativity and incivility? Joyce E. A. Russell, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Climate & Environment Southern California is suddenly besieged by fire. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besieged
Verb
  • 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
  • Military vehicles and local and state police blockaded the route into the town center.
    Jessica Pishko, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • In 2014, the Center for Biological Diversity, along with the Center for Food Safety, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and a noted monarch biologist petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the beloved invertebrates and their vulnerable habitat.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned for protection in 2014, citing dire declines in monarch populations.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Popular on Variety However, much like Qatar — which hosted the World Cup in 2022 — FIFA’s decision has already been attacked by human rights groups.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Others, however, argued that Neely had not physically attacked anyone, and that Penny should not have held him in a prolonged chokehold.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Doctors have raised alarms as young workers have been afflicted with silicosis, a deadly illness caused by inhaling particles of crystalline silica.
    Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
  • These turtles need some warmth The frigid Northeast temperatures of the last several days have accelerated the arrival of sea turtles afflicted with life-threatening hypothermia at Cape Cod beaches, requiring more than 250 of them to be rescued so far.
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • At 9, the boy whose family had artificial trees every Christmas saw the live ones on the farm and begged his father to bring one home.
    Amber Hunt, The Enquirer, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Darkness would bring more hazards, and crew members from both ships begged Wilson not to send them back to the blazing steamer.
    Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The woman in the suit alleged she was assaulted after she was driven to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Gardner claims that Jodeci singer DeVante Swing watched while she was being assaulted.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near besieged

Cite this Entry

“Besieged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besieged. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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