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Difficulty: HardWords Commonly Confused and Homonyms

Which of the following pairs of words correctly completes the sentence below?

Although the executive continued to ________ corporate regulations by operating unapproved offshore accounts, he presented an ________ defense to the board, claiming total ignorance of financial protocols.

  1. flout / ingenuousAnswer
  2. B
    flaunt / ingenuous
  3. C
    flout / ingenious
  4. D
    flaunt / ingenious

Answer

flout / ingenuous
The correct answer combines 'flout' and 'ingenuous'. The verb 'flout' accurately describes disregarding or violating regulations, while 'ingenuous' accurately captures an artless, naive, or innocent defense in which the executive claims complete ignorance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the first blank to determine the correct verb choice between 'flout' and 'flaunt'.
The clause describes breaking or defying corporate regulations by running unapproved accounts. 'Flout' means to openly mock, disregard, or defy a rule, whereas 'flaunt' means to display something ostentatiously. Thus, 'flout' is required.
Choosing the correct verb requires distinguishing paronyms based on exact semantic definitions in legal and corporate contexts.
2
Analyze the context of the second blank to determine the correct adjective choice between 'ingenuous' and 'ingenious'.
The defense relied on claiming 'total ignorance of financial protocols', which portrays a persona of innocence, artlessness, or naivety. 'Ingenuous' means innocent, naive, or unpretentious, whereas 'ingenious' means highly clever or inventive. Thus, 'ingenuous' is required.
Matching the adjective to the context of feigned innocence requires distinguishing between phonetically similar words with opposing connotations.

Key Concept

Words Commonly Confused and Homonyms (Flout vs Flaunt; Ingenuous vs Ingenious)
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Topics

Words Commonly Confused and Homonyms

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