Select the appropriate pair of words to fill in the blanks:
Coach Bhatia’s ______ efforts over the summer helped the young spinner ______ her skills, and by October she was picked for the state team.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → tireless, hone
Complete sentence: Coach Bhatia’s tireless efforts over the summer helped the young spinner hone her skills, and by October she was picked for the state team.
| Tireless (answer) | Hone (answer) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | putting in a lot of effort for a long time without getting tired or stopping | to make a skill better by practising it again and again |
| Example | Thanks to the volunteers’ tireless work, the relief camp had hot food ready within hours of the flood. | Sana spent her vacation honing her Kathak footwork at her guru’s house. |
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: tireless, stifle — Incorrect. Stifle means to stop something from growing or developing. Example: Too many rules at home can stifle a child’s curiosity.
Option 2: grudging, squander — Incorrect. Grudging means given or done unwillingly. Squander means to waste money, time or a chance foolishly. Example: With only grudging support from his family, Vikram was afraid he would squander his one chance at the trials.
Option 4: listless, dull — Incorrect. Listless means having no energy or interest in anything. Dull means to make something weaker or less sharp. Example: Weeks of fever had left Rohit listless, and the strong medicines seemed to dull his appetite too.