Which verb means to imply or suggest indirectly?

Which verb means to imply or suggest indirectly?

• A. Intimate
• B. Pithy
• C. Axiom
• D. Ambivalent

Answer: (A)

The idea tested here is recognizing a verb that means to imply or suggest indirectly. Intimate, when used as a verb, means to hint at something or convey it indirectly rather than stating it outright. It’s a subtle, often formal way of signaling a thought without saying it directly, as in “He intimated that he might resign,” which leaves the reader to read the implied meaning. This fits best because the sense of implying or hinting—without an explicit statement—is exactly what this verb conveys. The other words describe different things: pithy means concise or terse in expression, not about signaling indirectly; an axiom is a self-evident truth or principle, not a verb; ambivalent describes having mixed feelings, and is an adjective, not a verb about implying.

The idea tested here is recognizing a verb that means to imply or suggest indirectly. Intimate, when used as a verb, means to hint at something or convey it indirectly rather than stating it outright. It’s a subtle, often formal way of signaling a thought without saying it directly, as in “He intimated that he might resign,” which leaves the reader to read the implied meaning.

This fits best because the sense of implying or hinting—without an explicit statement—is exactly what this verb conveys. The other words describe different things: pithy means concise or terse in expression, not about signaling indirectly; an axiom is a self-evident truth or principle, not a verb; ambivalent describes having mixed feelings, and is an adjective, not a verb about implying.