English Vocabulary — Antonym (choose the word opposite in meaning to the highlighted word). Sentence: What he tells me confirms my ideas.

Introduction / Context:
In argumentation, “confirm” means to support or provide evidence for a claim. Its antonym is a verb that undermines or shows a claim to be false. Among common pairs, “confirm” ↔ “contradict” or “refute,” depending on nuance. Recognizing these relations is useful in logic, research appraisal, and reading comprehension.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target verb: confirms = supports, backs up.
• Context: statements affecting one’s ideas.
• Options: strengthens, opposes, contradicts, verifies.

Concept / Approach:
To reverse confirmation, we need a verb that states the opposite of, or conflicts with, the claim. “Contradicts” does that directly: it asserts incompatibility with what is claimed. “Opposes” can be weaker or about attitudes rather than truth-value. “Strengthens” and “verifies” are near-synonyms of confirm and therefore wrong.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute: “What he tells me contradicts my ideas.” This inverts the epistemic relation between testimony and belief and is fully idiomatic.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• strengthens: Reinforces; synonym-like to confirm.
• opposes: Could indicate disagreement, but not specifically logical inconsistency.
• verifies: Provides proof; synonym of confirm in many contexts.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “oppose” (attitude/action) with “contradict” (truth-conditional conflict). In logic-focused language, “contradict” is the precise antonymic action to “confirm.”

Final Answer:
contradicts