"Malign" means to slander or to speak in a critical manner of a person's reputation. "Magnify" means to enlarge or make something look bigger. "Lacerate" means to tear or cut. "Inundate" means to flood. "Urge" means to push or persuade a person to do something.

"Ostracize" means exclude or banish someone from something, so "exclude" is the correct answer. Considering the other answer choices, "include" cannot be the correct answer becuase "include" means accept or welcome into a group, making it an antonym of "ostracize" and "exclude." "Birdlike" means avian, "burn" means set on fire or injure with fire, and "craft," when used as a verb, means make or construct.

"Coax" means to convince or to "persuade." "Buffet" means to strike something, such as with a punch. "Classify" means to arrange into classes or groups usually based on similar or shared qualities. "Diminish" means to lessen or to decrease. "Withdraw" means to rescind, to remove, or to retreat.

"Bemoan" means show sadness about something, so "lament," a word that when used as a verb means grieve or wail, is the correct answer. "Devastate" means destroy or wreck. "Bewilder" means confuse or baffle. "Dispute" means to debate or to argue. "Pollute" means to contaiminate or to poison.

“Dissemble” means to conceal or to fake, so "conceal" is the correct answer. None of the other answers are close in meaning to “dissemble”. “Undermine” means to weaken. “Caution” means to warn. “Ridicule” means to mock or to deride. “Levitate” means to rise up or to float in mid-air.  

“Eschew” means to shun or to avoid, so "shun" is the correct answer. None of the other answers are close in meaning to “eschew”. “Predict” means to forecast. "Beep” means to emit a short, high-pitched, electronic sound. “Traverse” means to cross. “Fix” means to repair.

To “evince” is to show clearly or to reveal, so "reveal" is the correct answer. None of the other answers are close in meaning to “evince”. “Increase” means to get bigger. “Graft” means to insert or to transplant. “Hemorrhage” means to bleed, especially profusely. “Happen” means to occur.  

"Justify" means be a good reason for something. Similarly, "warrant" means require or deserve something, so "warrant" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "justify": "pretend" means simulate or feign, "languish" means suffer or become weak, scintillate means sparkle or shimmer, and "borrow" means take possession of something temporarily with the intention of returning it to its original owner after one has used it.

To "decry" something is to openly criticize it, so "criticize" is the correct answer. None of the other answers are close in meaning to "decry": “wait” means to remain inactive until something expected happens; “convene” means assemble, gather or meet;“chat” means converse or have a casual conversation; and “thank” means express gratitude.

To "descry" is to perceive or to see by looking carefully, so "perceive" is the correct answer. None of the other answers are close in meaning to "descry": “conspire” means to plot to do something morally wrong;“fail” means be unsuccessful; “purge” means get rid of all of something from a certain thing or area; and "phrase” means express with words in a particular way.