“Coerce” is a verb that means either “persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats” or “obtain (something) by using force or threats,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “persuade using force or threats” or “obtain by using force or threats.” That means that “beg” cannot be the correct answer, because “beg” means “ask (someone) earnestly or humbly for something,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “coerce.” “Pressure,” however, when used as a verb, means “attempt to persuade or coerce (someone) into doing something,” and because “pressure” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “coerce,” “pressure” is the correct answer.

To "ostracize" is to exclude a person from a particular group or from society.

“Bellow” is a verb that means to shout loudly, so the correct answer is “shout.” For clarification, "laud" means to praise, and "assume" means to believe something without checking to make sure it is true.

“Chortle” is a verb that means “laugh in a breathy, gleeful way; chuckle,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “laugh” or “chuckle.” “Bawl” may look like a potentially correct answer because, like “chortle,” it describes a noise people can make, but “bawl” actually means either “shout or call out noisily and unrestrainedly” or “weep or cry noisily.” So, because “bawl” does not mean the same thing as “chortle,” it cannot be the correct answer. “Giggle,” however, is a verb that means “laugh lightly in a nervous, affected, or silly manner,” and because “giggle” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “chortle,” “giggle” is the correct answer.

"Concede" is a verb that means " admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it," or "surrender or yield something one possesses" when referring to the object conceded. So, we need to pick out another verb that means something like "admit." Since "acknowledge" means " accept or admit the existence or truth of," "acknowledge" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "concede" and the correct answer.

Concede means to give in.

The definition of "inquire" is to interrogate or seek information by questioning. "Scrutinize," to examine something closely and critically, is the best answer.

As a verb, "baffle" means to confuse someone, or to be confused. An example is, "Walking through the maze, Diana was baffled about how to get out." If you're "confused," you are bewildered.

Someone who is "baffled" is certainly not "convinced" of anything, probably because their situation is not "clear!"

“Allege” is a verb that means to claim without proof. “Confirm,” “testify,” and “prove,” are all actions that require proof. “Accuse” is a verb that means to charge with an offense or crime. Of the answer choices, “claim” has the closest meaning.

"Rescind" means to make something void or to retract something, such as an offer.

None of the other words are synonyms of rescind:

"Donate" means to give something as a gift.

"Transcend" means to surpass or exceed.

"Refute" means to prove incorrect or to contradict something.

"Return" means to go back to a place.