Question

Fill in the blank with the correct word/phrase.
Dentists recommend brushing with toothpaste to ____ teeth from decay.
a- Avoid
b- Guard
c- Protect
d- Defend

Answer 1

Hint: The given sentence is trying to indicate that we must brush with toothpaste to shield or protect our teeth from decaying. ‘Protect’ refers to safeguarding or looking after someone or something.

Complete Step by Step Answer: The word, ‘protect’ has been derived from the Latin word- Protegere, which means to cover in front.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word, ‘protect’. Now, let’s look at its usage-
For example- The bird tried to protect its young one from the storm. Here, we can understand that the bird tried to shield or secure its young one from the storm.
Let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘avoid’ refers to staying away or keeping away from someone or something. For example- His brother tries to avoid visiting the dentist. ‘Avoid’ is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- ‘guard’ refers to fortifying or barricading to protect from danger or harm. For example- The soldiers guard the fort. ‘Guard’ is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘protect’ refers to securing or taking care of someone or something. ‘Protect’ is similar in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option d- ‘defend’ refers to guarding or shielding from attack. For example- The soldiers vowed to defend their land. ‘Defend’ is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option. The correct answer is Option ‘c’.

Note:
 Some synonyms of ‘protect’ are; safeguard, save, shield, etc while some antonyms of ‘protect’ are; expose, neglect, attack, etc.