The relationship between siege and besiege is:

• A. Have similar meanings.
• B. Have opposite meanings.
• C. Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.
• D. They are related by usage.

Answer: (A)

These two words are linked by the same idea of surrounding a fortified place to force surrender. Siege is the noun for the act or period of surrounding and blockading a city or fortress. Besiege is the verb meaning to surround and attack in order to compel surrender. Because they express the same concept from different grammatical forms, they have similar meanings. They aren’t opposite or unrelated. While they are connected in how they’re used—besiege is the action you perform during a siege—the clearer takeaway is that their meanings align closely, with one describing the event and the other the action that constitutes that event. For example, armies lay siege to a city, and they besiege the city to pressure its defenders.