Question

Choose the word which is closest to the opposite in meaning to the italicized word and fill in the blank.
Nature teaches us not to destroy , but to ------
A) Invest
B) Produce
C) Create
D) Make

Answer 1

Hint: In the above sentence the italicized word is destroy. Destroy means to end the existence of something by damaging or attacking it or to damage something so badly that it cannot be used. Example: The house was destroyed in the floods.

Complete answer:
Let's discuss the given options in detail to find the opposite of the word ‘destroy’.
>Invest : invest means to provide or endow someone or something with a particular quality or attribute. Example , the company will invest five million dollars in the project. It is not similar to the opposite of destroy. Hence option A is incorrect.
>Produce : it means to make something or bring something into existence or it means make or manufacture from components or raw material. It is not to the opposite meaning of destroy. Example: The company will produce huge quantities of fibre. Hence option B is incorrect.
>Create : create means to bring something into existence. It is similar to the opposite meaning of destroy. Example: He will create the entire collection for the upcoming fashion show. Hence option C is correct.
>Make: it means to cause something to exist or come about. This option does not express the intended antonym. Hence option D is incorrect.

Hence, the correct answer is option C.

Note:Some synonyms of destroy are demolish, damage , abolish ,smash. Example : The heavy rains damaged hundreds of houses. The most important fact here to notice is the difference between produce, create and make. The words produce and make mean to bring into existence, but not necessarily from the beginning. Whereas the word create means to bring into existence from the start, from scrap, without any pre-existence or trail.