Fill in the blank with the most appropriate phrasal verb:
To ______ the rising price of onions, the government stopped their export for three months.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → rein in
A phrasal verb is a verb joined with a small word such as up, out or together. The two words together have a new meaning.
Complete sentence: To rein in the rising price of onions, the government stopped their export for three months.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) rein in (answer) | to control something and stop it from going too far or growing too much | My parents asked me to rein in my spending on online games. |
| (2) step up | to increase something | The police have stepped up checks on the highway before the festival. |
| (3) play down | to make something seem less important than it really is | The captain played down his knee injury before the final. |
| (4) give off | to send out a smell, heat, light or gas | The pile of garbage gave off a terrible smell. |