Which of the following options does not use the idiom/proverb appropr…

The correct answer is Option (3) → He carried a chip off the old block ever since the argument.

A chip off the old block means a child who is very like his or her father or mother in character or looks, just as a chip cut from a block of wood is of the same wood. It has nothing to do with an argument. The idiom for holding a grudge after a quarrel is to have (carry) a chip on one's shoulder.
Corrected: He has carried a chip on his shoulder ever since the argument.
Example: With his love of cricket, the boy is a chip off the old block.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect?

Option 1: She thought deeply about a possible solution since she believed that where there's a will, there's a way. — Incorrect. Correct use: where there's a will, there's a way means that a determined person finds a way to succeed, which is why she kept looking for a solution.

Option 2: “A stitch in time saves nine”, chimed the mother when she saw her daughter mend a hole in the sweater. — Incorrect. Correct use: a stitch in time saves nine means that a small problem fixed at once saves much bigger trouble later. Mending a small hole early stops it from growing.

Option 4: They broke the ice by warmly introducing the delegates attending the meeting. — Incorrect. Correct use: break the ice means to make strangers feel relaxed at the start of a meeting. Warm introductions do this.

 

Also asked in CUET (UG): a stitch in time saves nine – 15-05-2026 Slot 1 chip off the old block – 23-05-2025 Slot 2 break the ice – 05-06-2023 Slot 2