Choose the option that can replace the underlined word in the given sentence:
Every Sunday, Kunal thinks up a new excuse to shirk washing the car with his father.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → wriggle out of
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.
Shirk means to avoid a duty or a piece of work you should do. Its closest meaning is wriggle out of. Example: A good monitor never shirks her duties, even on the busiest day.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) get away with | to do something wrong and not be caught or punished | He copied his friend’s homework and got away with it. |
| (2) wriggle out of (answer) | to avoid a duty or a promise by clever excuses or tricks (same as shirk) | Mohit tried to wriggle out of the group project by saying he had a fever. |
| (3) make up for | to do something good to balance a loss or a mistake | Riya studied on Sunday to make up for the classes she missed. |
| (4) put up with | to bear something unpleasant without complaining | We had to put up with the noise of the construction work for a month. |