Meaning & use

besiege

verb·Advanced

To surround a place with armed forces to force it to surrender, or to overwhelm with requests.

See it in a sentence

Enemy troops besieged the castle for months before its defenders finally surrendered.

Reporters besieged the celebrity with questions the moment she stepped off the plane.

A note on using this word

Besiege is often used figuratively today, describing someone overwhelmed by requests, problems, or attention rather than a literal military siege.

Words with a similar meaning

surroundoverwhelm

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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