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

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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 Most of the skeletons found in Stirling’s chapel had the sorts of wounds archaeologists expected to find on siege victims, like sword cuts, blunt trauma, and the wear and tear of hand-to-hand combat. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 23 Sep. 2026 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 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
  • On three separate occasions in the past week, Ukraine didn’t receive early warnings about missile attacks.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026
  • OpenCode had been running its defense with an OpenAI model, which started to refuse its requests in the middle of the attack.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • The blockade has caused medicine shortages in Iran, though there is no sign of shortages of food or other essential goods.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Then, Hamas took control of Gaza, Israel imposed a blockade, there were years of Hamas rocket fire into Israel and Israeli retaliation.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of blockade
Noun
  • In a 1997 heavyweight championship bout, Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield's right ear.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The Falcons’ bout with the 49ers appeared unfavorable on paper.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of bout
Noun
  • On April 13, 2021—the day after Lanitis died—the Appenzell Ausserrhoden prosecutor’s office ordered the seizure of relevant records and called for an autopsy, which revealed that Lanitis had died of multiple organ failure.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • This comes amid a surge of violence and land seizures by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
    — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of seizure
Noun
  • Jaros and Rauh also try to account for the uncertainty over whether taxes can be collected from other billionaires, such as the ones who have left since the beginning of the year and may thus have a legal case for escaping the tax.
    — Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Eisenkot's election day appearances with Mozes and in other affected communities are a sign of how central the attacks have been to the campaign and to the former general's case that Netanyahu's time in power should be up.
    — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of case
Noun
  • Their 2-4 record will meet with Dallas’ next Monday night in a game that all of a sudden spells absolute disaster for the losing team.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Building an international band that includes Eiko Ishibashi, Jim O’Rourke, and a whistler, the Australian guitarist shapes longform spells of emotional and musical ambiguity.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of spell

Phrases Containing siege

Browse Nearby Words

siding (with)
siege
sieges
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Cite this Entry

“Siege.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/siege. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about siege

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