Select the correct option: The reforms, while ostensibly motivated by economic exigencies, were in effect a veiled attempt to ____ dissent under the guise of austerity.
quell
The sentence implies a hidden motive — suppressing opposition while pretending to address the economy. The blank verb must collocate with "dissent" in the sense of putting it down.
Quell means to suppress or put an end to (especially protests or dissent) — the perfect fit.
The others don't work:
Swell — to grow larger (opposite meaning).
Rebut — to refute an argument with evidence (too narrow; applies to claims, not dissent broadly).
Impugn — to call into question or attack the integrity of.
Hence, the correct answer is quell.
Similar Questions
- Out of the four alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentences.
A person who has lost the protection of the law - Out of the four alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentences.
Falsification of documents etc. - Out of the four alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentences.
To make atonement for one's sins - Choose the correct phrasal verb:
The professor asked the student to ______ on her thesis argument. - Select the correct option:
Far from being a liability, his dissenting views often served as a ____ to complacency within the group. Choose the correct semantic fit:
The intervention was seen as a ____ to escalating tensions.
Fill in the blank with the right phrasal verb:
The investigation was ____ after new evidence emerged.Fill in the blank with the correct option:
He spoke so ____ that the audience was mesmerized.
- Fill in the blank with the correctly spelt word.
The ________ of the ancient manuscript was a painstaking process. - Select the correct option:
The director demanded the screenplay be revised to eliminate ___ dialogue.
Important Questions from Fill in the Blanks
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the word that best completes the sentence.
At times he gets very angry, and then no one can_______ him.
Each of the following sentences has a blank space and four words are given below it. Select the word or group of words you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response accordingly.
Many people today have fallen into utter confusion of values with the result that they cannot______ the good from the bad.
Each of the following sentences has a blank space and four words are given below it. Select the word or group of words you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response accordingly
If Mohan________ at 5 a.m., he would not have missed the train.
Each of the following sentences has a blank space and four words are given below it. Select the word or group of words you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response accordingly.
His property was divided ______ his daughters and sons.
Each of the following sentences has a blank space and four words are given below it. Select the word or group of words you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response accordingly
His persistence in his misdemeanours has lowered him in the________ of everyone who knows him.
