Phrasal Meaning – Choose the option that BEST explains the highlighted phrasal verb. Sentence: The rebels held out for about a month.

Introduction / Context:
In military and negotiation contexts, “hold out” commonly means to continue to resist pressure, enemy attacks, or demands. It can also mean to refuse to yield during talks. Here, “for about a month” indicates a duration of sustained resistance rather than mere waiting or retreating.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject is “rebels,” implying conflict.
• Time span: “about a month,” implying prolonged action.
• We want a paraphrase that emphasizes continued non-yielding.

Concept / Approach:
Compare senses: “waited” lacks opposition; “retreated” indicates withdrawal; “bargained” focuses on negotiation, not necessarily resistance under pressure. “Resisted” unambiguously captures the notion of holding out against forces or demands over time.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Interpret domain: conflict or siege.Align “held out” with sustained resistance.Reject alternatives that lack the opposition component.Select “resisted.”

Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute: “The rebels resisted for about a month.” The sentence remains coherent and precise.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• waited: no implication of opposition.
• retreated: opposite of holding a position.
• bargained: may occur during holding out, but not the core meaning here.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming “held out” equals “waited” because of the time phrase; the idiom’s essence is resistance, not passivity.

Final Answer:
resisted