Question

Choose the word/phrase which is opposite in meaning to the italicized word/phrase in the sentence.
The General ordered the troops to advance to the fort.
a) retire
b) return
c) escape
d) retract

Answer 1

Hint:Antonyms are those words that express meaning as opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other.
In the given question, the word ‘advance’ refers to ‘move forward, also in the metaphorical sense’.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze the options given to us in this question:
Option (a.), 'retire', refers to ‘pull back or move away or backward.’Therefore, option (a.) is incorrect as its meaning is not antonymous to that of the given word ‘advance’.
Option (b.), ‘return', refers to ‘withdraw from active participation’.Therefore, option (b.) is incorrect as its meaning is not antonymous to that of the given word ‘advance’.
Option (c.), ‘escape', refers to ‘an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy’.Therefore, option (c.) is incorrect as its meaning is not antonymous to that of the given word ‘advance’.
Option (d.), ‘retract', refers to ‘pull inward or towards a center’.Therefore, option (d.) is correct as its meaning is antonymous to that of the given word ‘advance’.

Note:
Sometimes the given options in a question where we have to find the opposite of the given word do not exactly mean the opposite of the given word. If this happens, we have to select the option which is the most anonymous to the meaning of the word in the question.