beset

verb

bi-ˈset How to pronounce beset (audio)
Definition of besetnext
1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 beset The new Roadster is set to arrive in an EV market beset by high energy prices, political turmoil, and consumer uncertainty. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026 Now 225 years later, the world has turned into a dustbowl, with pockets of civilization that are beset by random storms. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 Between Two Fires is a zippy historical monster story, where a bandit ex-knight and a young girl beset by visions have to contend with plague and inhuman monsters. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, the timeline that has emerged since all charges were dismissed shows the Broadview case was beset by controversy from its inception. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beset
  1. plague
  2. attack
  3. afflict
  4. assault
  5. persecute
  6. raid
  7. besiege
  8. storm
Verb
  • Speculation and conspiracy theories have plagued Kirk’s death, fueled even by public figures such as Candace Owens, a longtime friend of Kirk, who has been outspoken about her belief that his death was orchestrated in an elaborate plot.
    — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Hoover’s replacement has thus far been a miss, and the problem that plagued this program in losses in each of the last two years has not changed.
    — Mac Engel October 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of plague
Verb
  • Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Electrons can then leak out of the chain, bonding with oxygen in the wrong parts of the mitochondria to form highly reactive free radicals that attack and deform neighboring molecules.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Verb
  • Love contains the seeds of its own destruction—the cruelty and self-absorption that turns the afflicted against one another, and themselves.
    — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Engineers have also taken steps to ensure that a CFT-like thruster anomaly doesn't afflict future Starliner flights.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of afflict
Verb
  • The men talked about who would assault the woman beforehand, took photos and recorded the assault, which was also seen on a security system feed at the home in Sullivan's Island, an affluent suburb of Charleston, state agents said.
    — MEG KINNARD, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • An assistant football coach at a Detroit high school faces assault with intent to murder, home invasion and related charges in a shooting that injured a 7-year-old child and her mother.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of assault
Verb
  • Those governments provide assurances that people won’t be persecuted or tortured, federal attorneys said.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of persecute
Verb
  • In January, the FBI raided a Post reporter’s home, as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of mishandling sensitive national security information.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Authorities on Wednesday raided the headquarters of one of Turkey ’s few broadcasters not aligned with the government, and appointed a trustee manager to oversee the popular news channel as part of an investigation into alleged corruption.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of raid
Verb
  • Mehra – director of 2016 pic Baar Baar Dekho and creator of Prime Video series Big Girls Don’t Cry – says that while Indian audiences are besieged by films and TV content right now, where Hunkkaar has cut through is in its subject matter.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Its largest medical center, Al-Shifa Hospital, was besieged, bombed, and raided, under false pretexts, resulting in hundreds of deaths inside.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of besiege
Verb
  • Why burn down the Limoges city hall, the tourist office in Lyon, storm the Marseille city hall, or attack the prefect’s residence in Bordeaux?
    — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The flow of money from Qatar into Gaza has taken on new significance since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, murdered some 1,200 people, and took 251 more hostage.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of storm

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Cite this Entry

“Beset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beset. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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