Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.

Sun Tzu says that ______ the enemy without battle requires greater skill than winning on the battlefield.

defeating

The most appropriate option to fill in the blank is defeating.

The sentence is about Sun Tzu's philosophy of warfare. Sun Tzu believed that it was better to defeat an enemy without fighting than to fight a battle. This is because a battle is always dangerous and costly, even if you win.

The word "defeating" is the gerund form of the verb "to defeat." It is the most appropriate word to use because it accurately describes the action of defeating an enemy without fighting.

The other options are not as appropriate.

• Defeated is the past participle form of the verb "to defeat." It does not make sense in this context, because Sun Tzu is not talking about an enemy that has already been defeated.
• In defeating is a prepositional phrase. It does not make sense in this context, because Sun Tzu is not talking about the process of defeating an enemy.
• Defeat is the infinitive form of the verb "to defeat." It is not the correct form to use in this sentence, because Sun Tzu is not talking about the act of defeating an enemy.