siege

noun

ˈsēj How to pronounce siege (audio)
Definition of siegenext
1
as in attack
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder a devastating siege of typhoid fever hit the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blockade
the cutting off of an area by military means to stop the flow of people or supplies after a siege of six weeks, the city of Vicksburg surrendered to General Grant and his Union forces

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 siege Five years later, Sheikh Hamad effectively broke the siege by visiting Gaza and pledging more than four hundred million dollars to reconstruction efforts there. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026 End the siege, impose sanctions and an arms embargo, dismantle occupation and apartheid, and return the land and political power Israel has taken. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 Others prepared to defend themselves and hoarded supplies as if for a siege. — Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026 Soldiers used their expertise in strategy, logistics and siege techniques not only for warfare, but also for this vast entertainment industry. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for siege
Recent Examples of Synonyms for siege
  1. attack
  2. blockade
  3. bout
  4. seizure
  5. case
  6. spell
Noun
  • The claim that Ukraine has halted its strikes on energy sites could not be independently verified, but neither Russian officials nor media have reported Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries since the energy truce was announced.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Before the current attacks, the airport handled roughly 110,000 passengers a day — similar in scale to Miami International airport.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • Student groups protesting since mid-September through school blockades have urged supporters to join them.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The tug was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, south of the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which has faced blockades and attacks in recent months.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of blockade
Noun
  • In the co-main event, Armando Resendiz (17-3) outlasted Australia’s Koen Mazoudier (16-5-1) by unanimous decision in a 10-round super middleweight bout.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • An accomplished musician who has released albums as The One AM Radio, Hirway turned to podcasting after a bout of writer’s block, hoping to find a breakthrough in fellow musicians’ creative processes.
    — Lily Moayeri, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of bout
Noun
  • The seemingly perfectly healthy and always active youngster from Georgia suffered a massive seizure, with scans later revealing three brain tumors.
    — Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Another drug recommended in the new guideline is gabapentin, an anticonvulsant typically used to treat seizures.
    — Shannon Firth, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of seizure
Noun
  • Recent court cases have used similar arguments, framing social media to judges and jurors as defective products causing children harm.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Another Supreme Court case made injunctions — the court orders that companies historically relied on to halt patent infringement — significantly harder to secure.
    — Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of case
Noun
  • Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey also is facing a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury playing for the Netherlands.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Malhotra, one of India’s most experienced execs and producers, launched Abundantia back in 2013 after exiting a role as COO of Viacom18 Motion Pictures and a shorter spell leading Balaji Motion Pictures.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of spell

Phrases Containing siege

Browse Nearby Words

siding (with)
siege
sieges
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on siege

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about siege

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All