Question

Choose the correct synonym of the following word.
It isn’t a good idea to cause trouble when you can’t speak the language.
A) mix up
B) Make wave
C) Mud up
D) Make water

Answer 1

Hint: A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, morpheme, or phrase in the same language. Begin, start, commence, and initiate, for example, are all interchangeable synonyms. Here we need to find out the meaning of the given underlined word and then the synonym of it.

Complete answer:
To cause trouble is to act or behave in an inconvenient way; to produce problems or issues. In the above question, we have to write a word which has the same meaning as ‘cause trouble’ that is to create problems.

Let us look at the given options:
A) mix up: This option is incorrect because the term "mix up" refers to sabotaging the order or organization of a collection of items. It does not mean the same as causing trouble, so they are not synonyms.
B)Make waves: This is the correct option. The phrase "make waves" can refer to either making an impact or causing trouble, so it can be used as a synonym for “make waves”.
C) Mud up: This option is incorrect because mud up entails making mud out of water or a water-clay slurry by adding commercial components. It has no relation with causing trouble, so it cannot be used as its synonym.
D) Make water: This option is incorrect because the term ‘make water’ means to urinate whereas we have to find a word which has the same meaning as creating problems.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (B) i.e, make waves.

Note: The basic test for synonymy is substitution: in a sentence, one form can be replaced by another without changing the context. Elegant variety is when an author avoids repeating the same phrase in close proximity and instead uses synonyms. Synonyms with the same meaning share a seme or denotational sememe, whereas those with inexactly comparable meanings have a larger denotational or connotational sememe, resulting in semantic overlap.