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Question

Difficulty: MediumRoot Word Analysis

Fill in the blank with a synonym for the bolded word that accurately completes the sentence. Which word correctly completes the statement?

Answer:Alert safety inspectors worked swiftly to avert a factory accident, managing to 【prevent】 the incident before anyone was hurt.

Answer

prevent (or avoid / stop)
The word 'avert' is formed from the Latin prefix 'a-' (meaning 'away') and the root 'vert' / 'vertere' (meaning 'to turn'). To turn something away means to prevent, avoid, or ward it off before it happens. Therefore, 'prevent' accurately completes the sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the word parts of the target term 'avert'.
The word consists of the prefix 'a-' (a form of 'ab-', meaning 'away from') and the Latin root 'vert' or 'vertere' (meaning 'to turn').
Identifying the root and prefix provides the core etymological meaning of the word.
2
Deduce the complete meaning and identify the appropriate synonym in context.
Literally meaning 'to turn away,' in context 'avert' means to keep an undesirable event from happening, which means to 'prevent' or 'avoid'.
Applying root word analysis directly resolves the contextual definition needed to complete the sentence.

Key Concept

Root Word Analysis of Latin 'vert' / 'vertere' (to turn)
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Root Word Analysis

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