as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
that woman's besetting need to meddle in the affairs of others
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attacking
to take sudden, violent action against
the unsuspecting tourists were suddenly beset by robbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besetting
Adjective
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So Far The studio run-throughs of the entire album are a delight to sample, as the occasional rough patches and vocal improvisations add authenticity to the band’s obsessive crusade for perfection.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2025 -
The somewhat anonymous shapes of the EQS and EQE have not earned those machines many fans outside of obsessive aerodynamicists.—
Tim Stevens,
Ars Technica,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The inmate accused of fatally attacking prison guard Andrew Lansing on Christmas Day was issued a misconduct report in April for making threats, according to Lansing's brother and the prison guard union.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
The Enquirer,
27 Dec. 2024
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The two attacking players could only be registered once a unique loophole opened up via long-term injuries to center backs Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo was exploited by the Catalans.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The United States under the chaotic, impulsive leadership of President Donald Trump is abandoning its longstanding alliances with fellow democracies in favor of, at best, strategic ambivalence.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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These are not the actions of a responsible superpower, but rather the impulsive demands of a declining hegemon that has lost its way.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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An audacious plan In the mid-1980s, global health agencies were otherwise occupied and heads of state largely overlooked the illness afflicting millions of their citizens.—
Sam Mednick,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Dec. 2024
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The United States now suffers from twin pathologies—one afflicting the health of its citizens and the other the health of its political system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
Verb
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The men allegedly took turns assaulting Doe while the female celebrity watched.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
8 Jan. 2025
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In another setback, Le Pen lost his European Parliament seat in 2002 for a year for assaulting a Socialist politician during a 1997 election campaign.—
Thomas Adamson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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There were other chances, goals ruled out, Murphy striking the crossbar, and then Joelinton gilded the scoreline after intercepting a pass out from Amadou Onana that straddled negligence and criminality.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
27 Dec. 2024
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In a wide-ranging interview with NPR, Governor Maher Marwan, 42, said that Syria's new government did not want to seek conflict with Israel, which has been striking strategic military installations in Syria since the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad fell earlier this month.—
Hadeel Al-Shalchi,
NPR,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that government officials, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, have turned Mangione into a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool.—
Michael R. Sisak and Jake Offenhartz,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Dec. 2024
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Cops have arrested a motorist accused of attacking and robbing an NYPD traffic enforcement agent of his electronic summons book after getting a ticket on a busy Queens street, police said Friday.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
20 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Besetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besetting. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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