"Melt" means to be liquified by heat. This is similar to "thaw." 

The word "pursue" is a verb meaning follow or chase. Imagine that a man in front of you drops his wallet on the sidewalk. If you were to follow behind him to return the lost property, moving quickly and making sure not to lose sight of him, you would be "pursuing" the man. This word does not imply either the start of a new friendship or the act of irritating another, so "befriend" and "annoy" can be eliminated as answer choices. To "escape" means to get away or flee from a constraining situation, so this word is also incorrect.

"Dwindle" means decrease in size or amount, so "diminish" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "dwindle": "inflate" means increase or fill with gas or air; "deceive" means lie or trick; "rectify" is a verb that means correct or make right; and "imply" is a verb that means hint at or suggest without stating explicitly.

"Raze" can be a tricky word because its homophone (a word that sounds the same but has a different meaning), "raise," means almost the exact opposite. To "raze" something means to destroy or demolish it. It is related to the word "razor," which means to remove by scraping.

"Slumber," when used as a verb, means sleep or doze, so the answer closest in meaning to "slumber" is "sleep," which is a verb meaning be in a state of rest in which consciousness is suspended. Considering the other answer choices, none are as close in meaning to "slumber" as is "sleep": "travel" is a verb meaning transport oneself from one location to another, often in the context of a vacation; "drive" is a verb meaning operate an automobile, and "rest" is a verb meaning lay down and relax. While "rest" may seem close in meaning to "slumber," "slumber" specifically means "sleep," so "sleep" is the correct answer.

Don't confuse the word "taper" with the piglike mammal the "tapir," or think of it as "one who tapes" something. The word "taper" used to refer to a candle. From there it came to mean "rising like a flame," and eventually came to its present meaning of gradually decreasing (much like how many candles decrease in size from the base to the wick). Both physical objects (like a cone or pants) and less-tangible things (like anger or sales figures) can be said to taper when they decrease.

"Ebb," when used as a noun, means "the movement of the tide out to sea," and when used as a verb, it means "move away from land; recede" when referring to tides and "gradually lessen or reduce" when referring to emotions or qualities. Since none of our potential answer choices have to do with tides, we should pick one out that is a verb meaning something like "gradually lessen." While "increase" may have initially looked like a correct answer, "increase" means the opposite as "ebb," so it cannot be the correct answer. "Dwindle," however, means "diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength." Because "dwindle" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "ebb," "dwindle" is the correct answer.

"Segregate" means separate from the rest of a group, often due to particular charatacteristics. Therefore, "separate," which when used as a verb means divide from the rest of a group, is the correct answer. 

"Cultivate" means develop, prepare or grow. Therefore, "develop" is the proper synonym.

"Mar" means to ruin or spoil. To further help you, "rectify" means to fix; "impose" means to assert, to force one’s will upon; "pungent" means strong smelling; "horrify" means to scare greatly.