Question:

Choose the appropriate word from the options to fill in the blank:
As the structure was illegal, the authorities decided to ________ it.

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Homophone distinction:
Raise = to build, elevate, or set upright.
Raze = to demolish, flatten, or tear down to the ground.
Updated On: Sep 4, 2026
  • rise
  • rays
  • raise
  • raze
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Concept:
This question evaluates mastery over homophones and easily confused words, specifically focusing on phonetic twins with contradictory meanings in civil and administrative contexts. Transitive verbs dealing with physical construction, elevation, and destruction require rigorous morphological precision. Choosing the correct lexical item requires understanding the administrative consequence applied to an illegal or unapproved architectural structure.

Step 1: Detailed Lexical Analysis of the Options:

- (A) Rise: An intransitive verb meaning to ascend, move upward, or increase in height/value (e.g., “The sun rises”). Because it is intransitive, it cannot take the direct object “it”.
- (B) Rays: A plural noun referring to narrow beams of light, heat, or energy emanating from a source.
- (C) Raise: A transitive verb meaning to lift up, elevate, build, erect, or cultivate (e.g., “to raise a building”). Erecting an illegal building directly contradicts the punitive intention of the authorities.
- (D) Raze: A transitive verb meaning to completely tear down, level to the ground, demolish, or obliterate a structure or settlement.

Step 2: Syntactic and Contextual Verification:

The infinitive particle “to” requires a base transitive verb governing the direct object “it” (referring to “the structure”). Because the premise notes that the structure was unlawful, the municipal authorities' mandated course of action is demolition (i.e., to raze it).

Step 3: Final Answer:

The correct word is “raze”, matching Option (D).
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