besieges

Encircles and attacks

Besieges is the third-person singular of besiege, meaning to surround a place with armed forces in order to capture it or force surrender: The army besieges the fortress.

Extended uses describe persistent pressure or overwhelming attention: Doubt besieges her mind, Fans besiege the celebrity whenever she appears in public.

military

surrounds

Encloses on all sides

encirclesSurrounds on all sides
blockadesBarriers preventing passage
starvesDies from hunger

bombards · assaults · fortifications · ramparts · catapults · trebuchets · walls · citadel · garrison · defenders

overwhelms

inundates

Overwhelms with quantity

bombardsAttacks with heavy fire
floodsOverflowing onto dry land
swampsWaterlogged forested wetlands

overruns · pressures · hounds · harasses · pesters · barrages · assails · deluges · overwhelms · crowds

emotional

torments

Causes severe distress

hauntsVisits often, or torments
plaguesMass outbreaks of disease
troublesDistressing difficulties

afflicts · burdens · oppresses · anguishes · consumes · obsesses · grips · overwhelms · anxiety · doubts

Categories

enclosesencloses, surrounds, encircles, encompasses, contains

Opposites

military action

besiegesrelieves

Lessens or substitutes for

liberates · frees · abandons · rescues · surrenders

pressure/harassment

besiegesaids

Supportive tools or resources

supports · relieves · assists · pleases · comforts

Phrases

besieged citySettlement encircled by attackers

Family

besiege, besieged, besieging, besieger, besiegers

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG