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Difficulty: EasySecondary Meanings of Common Words

The lead detective warned the team that any premature leak to the press would compromise the entire investigation. With several suspects still uncooperative and key forensic reports pending, absolute confidentiality was crucial to securing a conviction. The department could not afford a single mistake that might alert the target of their inquiry. Despite the intense pressure from local reporters demanding immediate updates, the officers remained silent, protecting their sources and ensuring that the delicate operation proceeded exactly as scheduled.

As used in the passage, the word *compromise* most nearly means which of the following?

  1. endangerAnswer
  2. B
    settle
  3. C
    reveal
  4. D
    improve

Answer

endanger
The correct answer is 'endanger'. In the context of the passage, the detective warns that a leak would negatively affect the investigation. Since the officers must maintain absolute confidentiality, a leak would jeopardize or endanger their work.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence containing the target word to determine the context.
The sentence is: 'The lead detective warned the team that any premature leak to the press would compromise the entire investigation.' The warning context implies a negative outcome.
Understanding the surrounding context helps identify the tone and function of the target word.
2
Evaluate the choices by substituting them in place of the target word in the sentence.
Substituting 'endanger' yields: '...would endanger the entire investigation.' This fits the detective's warning tone and the subsequent details about maintaining confidentiality.
Substitution verifies if the chosen word maintains the logical meaning and grammatical flow of the sentence.

Key Concept

Secondary Meanings of Common Words
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Secondary Meanings of Common Words

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