Lex syn 26

She .... and was only acting out of concern for their safety

• went back to square one

• went by the board

• cut no ice

• had no axe to grind

Answer explanation

have a private or selfish reason for doing something; have an ulterior motive; have a strong opinion or point of view about something

Despite her ... demeanor, she was known for her shrewd and calculated business strategies

• ingenuous

• ostentatious

• diffident

• magnanimous

The new employee's ... remarks during the meeting were poorly received, as they lacked any clear relevance to the discussion

• circumlocutory

• tangential

• incisive

• germane

Answer explanation

TANGENTIAL: (of a subject or activity) different from or not directly connected with the one you are talking about or doing

CIRCUMLOCUTORY: relating to something said in an indirect way

Despite his ... efforts, the climber was unable to scale the treacherous peak

• quixotic

• perfunctory

• circuitous

• insipid

The actor's (VIRTUOSITY) portrayal of the character made the film an instant classic

(a)  

The experiment yielded (ANOMALY) results, prompting the researchers to conduct further investigations

(a)  

Answer explanation

different from what is usual, or not in agreement with something else and therefore not satisfactory

the invention, though innovative, proved to be a ... victory as the production costs outweighed the profits

• Pyrrhic

• unequivocal

• serendipitous

• spurious

Answer explanation

a victory that is not worth winning because the winner has lost so much in winning it

The artist' latest exhibit was celebrated for its ... exploration of human emotions

• incisive

• nebulous

• trite

• ostentatious

Answer explanation

expressing an idea or opinion in a clear and direct way that shows good understanding of what is important

A bull is never used twice in a bullfight, mainly because they .. death at the hands of the matador

• find

• meet

• rein

• show

Answer explanation

MEET one's DEATH/END: die, esp in a violent or suspicious way

The orchestra decided to ... tradition, and wear their everyday clothes for the concert

• flaunt

• feign

• flout

• fend

Answer explanation

treat with contemptuous disregard or to ignore a rule or norm