Vocabulary in Context – Choose the option that best explains the meaning of the highlighted phrase. Sentence: Discipline is “on the wane” in schools and colleges these days.

Introduction / Context:
“On the wane” is a fixed expression meaning that something is decreasing in strength, influence, or intensity. The sentence comments on discipline in educational institutions, claiming it is weakening compared to the past. Recognizing such set phrases is key to accurate comprehension in reading and exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target phrase: “on the wane.”
• Domain: behavior norms in schools and colleges.
• We must select the option indicating reduction, not growth.

Concept / Approach:
“Wane” originates from the moon’s phases—waning means decreasing illumination. By extension, it describes any decline. Therefore, the best paraphrase is “declining.” Options that suggest growth, spread, or escalation contradict the idiom’s core meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute: “Discipline is declining in schools and colleges these days.” The sentence remains natural and preserves meaning.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• increasing: Opposite of wane (which is decrease).
• spreading: Implies wider distribution, not reduction.
• spiralling: Often means increasing rapidly or uncontrollably (e.g., costs, violence).

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “wane” with “wane in popularity but wax in size.” Remember the pair: wane = decrease, wax = increase (as with lunar phases).

Final Answer:
declining