Remarks Reception: Choosing the Right Phrasal Verb

This question requires selecting the most suitable phrasal verb to complete the sentence, focusing on how the director's remarks were received by the board members.

The sentence is: "The director's remarks did not _______ well with the board members, leading to immediate backlash."

The key phrase here is "leading to immediate backlash," which indicates a negative reception or lack of acceptance of the director's remarks.

Analyzing the Options

Let's examine each option to see which phrasal verb best fits the context:

• Option 1: go out

  The phrasal verb "go out" typically means to leave a place, to be published or broadcast (like news), or to become unfashionable. For example, "The garbage needs to go out" or "The news will go out tomorrow." This meaning does not fit the context of how remarks are received by a group.

• Option 2: go in

  "Go in" usually means to enter a place or to be accepted or included. For example, "Please go in the house" or "His proposal did not go in easily." While it implies acceptance, "go in well" is not a standard idiom for reception in this manner.

• Option 3: go over

  The phrasal verb "go over" can mean to examine something carefully, but in the context of reception, it means "to be received or perceived in a particular way." For example, "How did your presentation go over with the clients?" or "The joke didn't go over well." This perfectly matches the context, implying the director's remarks were not received well ("did not go over well") by the board members, causing the noted backlash.

• Option 4: go off

  "Go off" has several meanings, including to explode, to start making a noise (like an alarm), to become spoiled (like food), or to deviate from a topic. For example, "The bomb went off" or "His speech went off the point." None of these meanings are appropriate for describing the reception of remarks.

Conclusion on Reception

Based on the analysis, the phrasal verb "go over" is the only one that accurately conveys the meaning of how the director's remarks were received (or not received well) by the board members, leading to the subsequent backlash.

Therefore, the completed sentence is: "The director's remarks did not go over well with the board members, leading to immediate backlash."