In English vocabulary, "expedite" means to speed up the progress of something. Which option is the best antonym of "expedite"?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on antonyms in vocabulary. The word "expedite" is commonly used in academic, business, and legal contexts to mean making a process happen faster or more efficiently. The task is to find the option that expresses the opposite idea, that is, stopping or slowing something rather than speeding it up. Such questions test your understanding of fine differences between similar verbs of speed and motion.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The target word is "expedite".
• "Expedite" means to make a process faster, to speed up, or to remove delays.
• The options are "halt", "quicken", "rush", and "hasten".
• We are asked to choose the antonym, not the synonym.

Concept / Approach:
If "expedite" means to increase speed or efficiency, then a true antonym should indicate stopping or at least delaying progress. The word "halt" means to stop something, to bring it to a standstill. That is a clear opposite to moving a process forward more quickly. The other options "quicken", "rush", and "hasten" all describe increasing speed, so they are synonyms or near synonyms of "expedite", not antonyms. Recognizing this semantic direction is the key to picking the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Confirm the meaning of "expedite" as to speed up or facilitate the progress of something.Step 2: Identify the opposite concept, which would be to stop or obstruct progress.Step 3: Examine "halt". This verb means to stop or cause to stop, often suddenly, which is opposite to expediting.Step 4: Examine "quicken". This means to make faster or more lively, so it moves in the same direction as "expedite".Step 5: Examine "rush". This means to move or act with great speed, again similar to expediting rather than opposing it.Step 6: Examine "hasten". This also means to move or act quickly or to cause something to happen sooner, making it another near synonym.Step 7: Conclude that "halt" is the only word that functions as an antonym of "expedite".

Verification / Alternative check:
You can test the contrast in sentences. If a manager says "We need to expedite the approval process", they want things to happen faster. If they say "We need to halt the approval process", they want it to stop. The two intentions are directly opposed. Try substituting "quicken", "rush", or "hasten" into the first sentence; each one still expresses the desire for speed, not for stopping. This usage test confirms that "halt" is the logical opposite of "expedite".

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Quicken" is wrong because it means to make something faster, as in "quicken the pace", which is similar to expediting. "Rush" is wrong because it implies acting quickly, often too quickly, but certainly not stopping. "Hasten" is wrong for the same reason, as it involves speeding up the occurrence of an event. Since all three of these words represent increased speed, they cannot serve as antonyms for vocabulary that already means speeding up. Only "halt" moves in the opposite direction by indicating a stop.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to confuse near synonyms with antonyms when the question demands opposites. Test takers may see several words related to speed and choose one at random without fully recalling the meaning of "expedite". Another pitfall is to ignore the instruction "is the opposite of" and instead think in terms of "is related to". To avoid these problems, always restate the target word in your own simple language first, such as "speed up", then look for the word that clearly reverses that meaning, such as "stop". This will guide you to answers like "halt" more reliably.

Final Answer:
The best antonym of "expedite" is halt.