Activate : Detonate :: — Select the pair that mirrors the polarity (enable/trigger ↔ disable/prevent) across both terms.

Introduction / Context:
The stem pairs a general enabler (“activate”) with a specific triggered outcome (“detonate”). Many exam sets echo this with an inverse/negative polarity pair: a general disabler paired with a specific prevention in the same domain (explosives). We must retain part-of-speech and functional symmetry.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Activate → Detonate (enable/trigger in the explosives domain).
• We seek a counter-pair showing disable/prevent in the same spirit.

Concept / Approach:
“Deaden : Defuse” mirrors the polarity: deaden (make less active/effective) broadly counters activate; defuse specifically prevents detonation. The pair preserves the general-to-specific structure within the explosives context, aligning with how many keys balance polarity in analogies.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Maintain domain and polarity.Map general disabler → specific prevention.Choose “Deaden : Defuse.”

Verification / Alternative check:
Deaden (to make less active/intense) and defuse (to render a bomb safe) function as natural counters to activation and detonation.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Expression : Words — unrelated mapping (process → vehicle).
• Connect : Detach — antonyms but not within explosives domain nor general-to-specific parallel.
• Inform : Deform — unrelated/orthographic distraction.
• Ignite : Extinguish — antonyms but both specific; does not mirror the general→specific structure that matches the stem.

Common Pitfalls:
Choosing any antonym pair without preserving structure and domain.

Final Answer:
Deaden : Defuse