Match each phrasal or prepositional verb on the left with its precise contextual definition on the right.
- hark back toTo evoke or recall a previous style, tradition, or period
- explain awayTo minimize or dismiss a mistake by offering plausible excuses
- chalk up toTo attribute an outcome, failure, or success to a specific cause
- wrest fromTo forcibly seize or extract authority, power, or control from someone
Answer
'Hark back to' matches 'To evoke or recall a previous style, tradition, or period'; 'explain away' matches 'To minimize or dismiss a mistake by offering plausible excuses'; 'chalk up to' matches 'To attribute an outcome, failure, or success to a specific cause'; and 'wrest from' matches 'To forcibly seize or extract authority, power, or control from someone'.
Each phrasal/prepositional verb is correctly aligned with its standard idiomatic definition in formal English: 'hark back to' relates to past recall, 'explain away' relates to excusing mistakes, 'chalk up to' relates to causal attribution, and 'wrest from' relates to forceful extraction of control.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Contextual Meanings of Idiomatic Phrasal and Prepositional Verbs