Definition of beleaguernext
as in to besiege
to surround (as a fortified place) with armed forces for the purpose of capturing or preventing commerce and communication beleaguered the castle for months

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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 beleaguer In Georgia, chicken farmers are beleaguered by bedbugs, which have hopped from hotel rooms to poultry farms, and from there to workers’ homes. Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 Sybil, who spent her younger years beleaguered by the presence of her double, that emblem of feminine conformity named Désirée, never manages to perceive herself as anything but abnormal by comparison. Literary Hub, 9 June 2026 Their involvement now raises the specter of another squeeze on energy markets already beleaguered by closures on the Strait of Hormuz and partly reliant on the Red Sea as an alternative passageway for energy supplies. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 This spring, graduates are leaving their respective alma maters and entering a job market that is beleaguered with uncertainty. Adam Harris, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for beleaguer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beleaguer
besiege
Verb
  • There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.
    F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • One of them, Muammar Ibrahim, reported for Al Jazeera’s Arabic network while the city was besieged.
    Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Beleaguer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beleaguer. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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