Select the antonym of the verb to sue in the sense of taking legal action against someone.

Introduction / Context:
This item tests legal vocabulary and the ability to choose an antonym for a given verb. The verb to sue means to bring a civil case against a person or organisation in a court of law. Examinations often include such words because legal and administrative terminology frequently appears in newspapers and government notifications. Understanding to sue and its opposite helps learners interpret reports about disputes and decisions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target verb: to sue.
• Options: to absolve, to litigate, to indict, to solicit.
• We must select a verb that expresses a meaning opposite to starting legal action.
• Context is civil or legal proceedings.

Concept / Approach:
To sue indicates initiating a legal action against someone. The opposite of this idea is not to start another legal procedure, but rather to free someone from blame or responsibility. The verb to absolve means to declare someone free from guilt, responsibility, or obligation. To litigate is almost a synonym of to sue, since it means to engage in legal proceedings. To indict is usually used in criminal law and means to formally accuse or charge somebody with a serious crime. To solicit means to ask for something, often money or support, and is unrelated to court action. Therefore the true antonym in this list is to absolve.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that to sue means to bring a case against someone in a civil court. Step 2: Consider option a, to absolve. This verb means to set someone free from blame, guilt, or responsibility. Step 3: Consider option b, to litigate. This is closely related to legal action and in many contexts works as a near synonym of to sue. Step 4: Consider option c, to indict. This is mainly used in criminal cases to formally charge someone with a crime. Step 5: Consider option d, to solicit. This means to request or ask for something and has no direct relation to legal accusation. Step 6: Recognise that only to absolve points in the opposite direction of legal blaming and hence functions as an antonym of to sue.

Verification / Alternative check:
Think of paired sentences. If a company sues a contractor, it starts a civil case against that contractor. If a court absolves the contractor, it clears the contractor of blame and responsibility. These actions pull in opposite directions. On the other hand, to litigate and to indict both involve taking legal steps against someone, which are similar to suing rather than opposite to it. To solicit support from the contractor is unrelated to legal blaming. This check confirms that to absolve is the correct antonym.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
to litigate: Means to carry on a lawsuit and is therefore similar in meaning to to sue, not opposite.
to indict: Means to formally accuse of a serious crime and again indicates legal action against a person.
to solicit: Means to ask for something like donations or opinions; it is outside the legal blame context.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose words that simply look technical or legal in style, such as litigate or indict, without thinking about the direction of meaning. Another pitfall is ignoring that the question demands an antonym, not a synonym. To avoid errors, learners should always link the target word to a simple phrase in their own words, such as to sue equals to file a case against, and then mentally look for a word that could mean to clear from blame. This small habit makes antonym questions much easier.

Final Answer:
The antonym of to sue is to absolve, so option a is correct.