Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word.

Amass

Gather

The most appropriate synonym of the given word amass is gather.

• Amass means to collect or gather a large amount of something.
• Gather means to collect or bring together things or people.

The two words are similar in that they both suggest the idea of collecting or bringing together things or people. However, the word amass has a more specific meaning that is focused on collecting a large amount of something, while the word gather has a more general meaning that is focused on collecting or bringing together things or people in general.

In the sentence "The people gathered to amass food and supplies," the speaker is not just saying that the people collected food and supplies, but that they collected a large amount of food and supplies. Therefore, the word "gather" is the most appropriate synonym for the word "amass" in this context.

The other words on the list are not as appropriate synonyms for amass. The word spread means to distribute or scatter something over a surface or area. The word divide means to separate or distribute something into parts. The word scatter means to distribute or spread something over a surface or area in a random way. These words do not convey the same sense of collecting or bringing together things or people as the word amass.