Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the highlighted word.

The boss persists with his loyalists even now.

discontinues

The most appropriate antonym of the highlighted word persists is discontinues.

• Persists means "to continue or maintain something in spite of opposition or difficulty."
• Discontinues means "to stop doing or using something."

The other words do not have the same meaning as persists, so they are not its antonyms.

• Retinues means "a group of people who attend or follow a person of importance."
• Continues means "to go on or keep going without interruption."
• Formulates means "to create or design something by following a set of rules or principles."