Choose the one word that best substitutes the phrase "to shut a door, window, or lid forcefully and loudly".

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: to slam

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This one word substitution question focuses on a very common everyday action: closing a door, window, or lid with force and noise. In spoken and written English, there is a specific verb that captures this action. Recognising it helps you describe physical actions more precisely and naturally.


Given Data / Assumptions:
The phrase is: "to shut a door, window, or lid forcefully and loudly". The options are:

  • to clam
  • to strike
  • to shutter
  • to slam
We assume that the question refers to a strong closure with sound, not just gentle closing.


Concept / Approach:
The key here is to recall commonly used verbs related to doors and windows. When you hear a loud bang because someone angrily or carelessly closes a door, you normally say that they "slammed" the door. Other options are either non standard or belong to different contexts (for example, hitting or adding shutters).


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the everyday phrase: "He slammed the door in my face." This describes closing it quickly, forcefully, and noisily. Step 2: Analyse option D: "to slam". This verb exactly means to shut something with force causing a loud noise. Step 3: Examine option A: "to clam". This is not standard as a transitive verb in this sense. "Clam up" is an idiom meaning to stop talking, but it does not refer to doors or windows. Step 4: Check option B: "to strike". It means to hit something, which is different from the focused act of closing a door, although closing may cause a strike-like noise. Step 5: Consider option C: "to shutter". As a verb, it can mean to close a business or to close shutters on windows, but the typical phrase for loud closure is not "shutter the door". Step 6: Therefore, the most precise and idiomatic verb is "to slam".


Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute each choice into example sentences:

  • "She slammed the window shut" sounds natural and common.
  • "She struck the window" changes the meaning to hitting the glass and may even imply breaking it.
  • "She shuttered the window" would mean she closed added shutters, not necessarily with force and noise.
  • "She clammed the window" is not acceptable English.
This confirms that "slam" matches both the force and the loud sound mentioned in the question.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • to clam: Not used as a standard verb for closing objects; related idiom "to clam up" concerns silence.
  • to strike: Emphasises hitting, not closing.
  • to shutter: Refers to adding or closing shutters or ending operations, not specifically to loud closure.


Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose uncommon or unfamiliar words thinking they must be the correct answer. However, many one word substitution questions actually rely on common everyday verbs. Be sure to trust well known and natural sounding expressions when they match the definition exactly.


Final Answer:
The best one word substitute is to slam.

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