Antonym or contrast clues are context clues that

Antonym or contrast clues are context clues that

• A. State the opposite of the word in question.
• B. Restate the word using a synonym.
• C. Provide a dictionary definition.
• D. Describe the word's etymology.

Answer: (A)

Antonym or contrast clues explain meaning by showing the opposite idea or a contrasting detail around the unfamiliar word. When you encounter a word you don’t know, if the sentence or nearby sentences present something that contrasts with that word, you can infer its meaning from that contrast. For example, in a line like “The trek was grueling, not easy,” the contrast with easy signals that grueling means very difficult. So the clue points to the opposite meaning to help you understand. Restating with a synonym would be a different kind of clue that repeats or rephrases the idea with a similar word, not show the opposite. Providing a dictionary definition is a direct definition, not a contextual contrast. Describing the word’s etymology looks at its origin, which isn’t about how the surrounding text guides you to meaning.

Antonym or contrast clues explain meaning by showing the opposite idea or a contrasting detail around the unfamiliar word. When you encounter a word you don’t know, if the sentence or nearby sentences present something that contrasts with that word, you can infer its meaning from that contrast. For example, in a line like “The trek was grueling, not easy,” the contrast with easy signals that grueling means very difficult. So the clue points to the opposite meaning to help you understand.

Restating with a synonym would be a different kind of clue that repeats or rephrases the idea with a similar word, not show the opposite. Providing a dictionary definition is a direct definition, not a contextual contrast. Describing the word’s etymology looks at its origin, which isn’t about how the surrounding text guides you to meaning.