laid siege
Encircled and attacked
Laid siege is the past tense of lay siege, meaning to surround a fortified place with military forces in order to compel its surrender.
Medieval armies laid siege to castles and walled cities, cutting off supplies until defenders capitulated.
The phrase extends figuratively to any sustained campaign of pressure or persistent effort to win someone over: Reporters laid siege to the courthouse or He laid siege to her heart for months before she agreed to a date.
- beleaguerBeset with difficulties
- attritionGradual reduction through loss
- hold outRefuse to concede
- dug inEstablished a fortified position
- long haulProlonged difficult undertaking
invest · surround · blockade · cut off supplies · encirclement · trebuchet · garrison · battering ram · conflict · catapult · lay waste · stronghold · overwhelm · pressure · encampment · surrender · persistence · war of attrition