Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from the options given below:-
The ensuing _____, after the rigging of the polls, though disturbing, but was not totally unexpected in an autocratic regime.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → mayhem
Mayhem means violent disorder and confusion. Rigged polls in an autocratic regime lead to public anger and unrest, and the sentence calls what followed "disturbing", so mayhem is the word that fits.
Complete sentence: The ensuing mayhem, after the rigging of the polls, though disturbing, but was not totally unexpected in an autocratic regime.
Example: There was mayhem at the station when the trains were cancelled.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: euphoria — Incorrect. Euphoria is a feeling of intense happiness; it cannot be called "disturbing".
Example: The fans were in a state of euphoria after the win.
Option 2: jubilation — Incorrect. Jubilation is great joy and celebration, again the opposite of a disturbing reaction to rigged polls.
Example: There was jubilation in the village when the road was opened.
Option 3: excitement — Incorrect. Excitement is a feeling of eager enthusiasm; it is usually pleasant and too mild for the unrest the sentence describes.
Example: The children could hardly sleep from excitement.
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| euphoria | – | 22-05 S2 | – | – | 20-08 S1 |
| jubilation | – | – | – | 13-06 S2 | – |