Select the appropriate option to fill in the blank:
The police used loudspeakers, not lathis, to ______ the panic that spread through the crowd when someone shouted that the bridge was giving way.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → quell
Complete sentence: The police used loudspeakers, not lathis, to quell the panic that spread through the crowd when someone shouted that the bridge was giving way.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) incite | to stir people up so that they get angry or cause trouble | The man was arrested for trying to incite the crowd with false rumours. |
| (2) quail | to feel or show fear (it does not take an object, so it cannot be followed by “the panic”) | The little boy quailed when the big dog barked at him. |
| (3) feign | to pretend to feel or have something | Raju feigned a headache to miss the maths test. |
| (4) quell (answer) | to calm or stop strong feelings or trouble, such as fear, anger or a riot (fits calming a frightened crowd) | The principal’s calm voice helped to quell the noise in the hall. |