The word “extol” means “to praise someone to a great degree.” For this reason, it is best to choose “adulate,” which implies such high praise. The words “praise” and “congratulate” would be options if this stronger option (adulate) was not given.

Since "imitate" means to take or follow as a model, the answer choice that is its closest synonym is "mimic," which means to imitate, typically to entertain or ridicule.

Since "belie" is a verb that means "give a false idea of something," "show something to be false or wrong," we need to pick out a word that means something like "misrepresent." Since "contradict" means "deny the truth of a statement, especially by asserting the opposite," it is the best answer choice and the correct answer.

If something is ascertained such as a fact, it means that it is deduced or surmised.

The word obfuscate means to confuse. Thus, the best fit answer choice is perplex.

In its older usage, “abide,” meant “to live or dwell.” It generally means “to accept” (often as a rule for action). It is often used in conjunction with the word “with” as in, “He decided that it was better to abide with the judge’s decision than to contest it.” Also, negatively, it can mean that someone does not tolerate something or someone. In this case, it would be used in a sentence like, “I cannot abide the way that she rudely eats with her mouth open and think I will leave the room.”

A “cipher” is a way of encoding or scrambling a message so as to hide its meaning. This would be used, for instance, in war when people are trying to hide the contents of messages between allies. When someone “deciphers” something, he or she “takes away the code.” In other words, he or she “breaks” the code and can read the message.

The word “deify” literally means “to make into a God.” The “-fy” prefix is used in many places in English to mean “to make or do” as in “falsify” and “nullify.” The “dei-” portion of the word is derived from a large cluster of “god-related” words such as “deity” and “deism,” as well as “theology” and “atheist.” (The “d” and “th” are related sounds.) When someone deifies someone else, they are likely to worship that person as a god. Therefore, the best option here is “venerate,” which means “to revere someone or something.”

"Accost" is a verb that means "approach and address someone boldly or aggressively," so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "approach and address aggressively." Of the potential answer choices, "waylay," a verb that means "stop or interrupt someone and detain them in conversation or trouble them in some other way," is the answer choice closest in meaning to "accost," so "waylay" is the correct answer.

You likely know the word “jester,” and think of it in terms of the “fool” with a strange looking hat. These persons would act foolishly for the sake of some high official—like a personal late night comedian always on call. When one “jests,” he or she makes a joke. For instance, one can say, “The young man joked about the manners of girl for whom he had affection. Since she knew that it was not malicious but in jest, she welcomed his flirtatious quips.” Jesting need not pertain to flirting, but the point here is that the jesting was kindly joke not a nasty remark.