1
a
: a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender
b
: a persistent or serious attack (as of illness)
2
obsolete
: a seat of distinction : throne
sieged; sieging
Synonyms
Examples of siege in a Sentence
Noun
The castle was built to withstand a siege.
The city is in a state of siege.
Recent Examples on the Web
Niha Masih, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The arts scene in Germany — and especially Berlin — has been turned upside down by Hamas’s attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, and the siege and bombardment of Gaza.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Rare books and documents: Nothing has been off limits in the ongoing gang siege of Port-au-Prince: not hospitals, schools, police stations and not even rare books.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
However, those warnings came after the hospital had already come under siege, according to one witness.
—Abeer Salman, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
The starvation is a result of the total siege on Gaza and the intentional targeting of local food production, infrastructure, and obstruction of aid convoys.
—NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024
But in the time since, Israel's siege has largely harmed civilians and many activists have called for a ceasefire.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Video recently obtained by CBS News shows a group of people who erected the infamous gallows and noose on the west front of the Capitol before the siege.
—CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024
The World Health Organization says 21 patients died in the hospital during Israel's recent 14-day siege, and that more than 100 patients were trapped without enough food or water in squalid conditions.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2022
After that, the blacks could surround and siege King’s Landing and force the greens’ surrender.
—Erica Gonzales, ELLE, 23 Oct. 2022
Russia's military has reportedly moved 12 of 14 elite units Mariupol to siege the city.
—Fox News, 25 Apr. 2022
In the Ukraine conflict, reports of civilian casualties have dominated the headlines as Russian troops siege cities around the country.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2022
Noun
In January 2023, thousands of supporters of Bolsonaro, inflamed by rhetoric and clinging to unfounded claims of fraud, laid siege to the country’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential office, days after the inauguration of leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
—Niha Masih, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The arts scene in Germany — and especially Berlin — has been turned upside down by Hamas’s attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, and the siege and bombardment of Gaza.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Rare books and documents: Nothing has been off limits in the ongoing gang siege of Port-au-Prince: not hospitals, schools, police stations and not even rare books.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
However, those warnings came after the hospital had already come under siege, according to one witness.
—Abeer Salman, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
The starvation is a result of the total siege on Gaza and the intentional targeting of local food production, infrastructure, and obstruction of aid convoys.
—NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024
But in the time since, Israel's siege has largely harmed civilians and many activists have called for a ceasefire.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Video recently obtained by CBS News shows a group of people who erected the infamous gallows and noose on the west front of the Capitol before the siege.
—CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024
The World Health Organization says 21 patients died in the hospital during Israel's recent 14-day siege, and that more than 100 patients were trapped without enough food or water in squalid conditions.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
Verb
While the attempt to siege the Capitol on Jan. 6. was foiled, the attack -- and the subsequent attempt to recast the narrative in the intervening months -- did not come without consequences, according to political scientist William Howell.
—Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2022
After that, the blacks could surround and siege King’s Landing and force the greens’ surrender.
—Erica Gonzales, ELLE, 23 Oct. 2022
Russia's military has reportedly moved 12 of 14 elite units Mariupol to siege the city.
—Fox News, 25 Apr. 2022
In the Ukraine conflict, reports of civilian casualties have dominated the headlines as Russian troops siege cities around the country.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'siege.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near siege
Cite this Entry
“Siege.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/siege. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
siege
noun1
: the placing of an army around a fortified place or city to force it to surrender
2
: a lasting attack (as of illness)
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