Question

Find the synonym of the underlined word.
The detective said the suspect’s replies were inconsistent with her previous testimony.
a) contradictory
b) incorporated
c) admitted
d) enhanced
e) were compatible with

Answer 1

Hint: The word ‘inconsistent’ refers to ‘not staying the same throughout'. This word is usually used as an adjective. The noun form of the given word is ‘inconsistency’. Another synonym of the word is ‘varying’.

Complete answer:
A synonym is a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language, for example, ‘shut’ is a synonym of ‘close’, as they convey the same exact meaning as each other.
In the given sentence, it is used to illustrate the fact that the detective is suspicious of the suspect, as her replies were not compatible with her previous testimony that she has given.

Now, we know the meaning and usage of the given word. Let’s look at the given options-

a) contradictory - The word ‘contradictory’ refers to ‘mutually opposed or inconsistent'. This word has the exact same meaning as the given word. This is the synonym of ‘inconsistent’. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
b) incorporated - The word ‘incorporated’ refers to ‘(of a company or other organization) formed into a legal corporation'. This word has a very different meaning to the given word. This is not the synonym of the given word. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) admitted - The word ‘admitted’ refers to ‘confess to be true or to be the case'. This word has a very different meaning to the given word. This is not the synonym of the given word. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) enhanced - The word ‘enhanced’ refers to ‘intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of'. This word has a very different meaning to the given word. This is not the synonym of the given word. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
e) were compatible with - The phrase ‘were compatible with’ refers to ‘were (of two things) able to exist or occur together without problems or conflict’. This word has a very different meaning to the given word. This is not the synonym of the given word. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
 The word ‘inconsistent’ is similar in meaning to one of the options. Try to guess the meaning of the underlined word, and then try to find the word that is closest in meaning to the given word.