Sentence: The traveler realized with a jolt that his passport was about to expire, and he wouldn't be able to return home without renewing it.
Choose the closest synonym for "expire" in the sentence:
A. Commence
B. Renew
C. Validate
D. Deactivate
Correct Answer: D. Deactivate (Why?)
- Expire means to come to an end by reaching a designated termination point. It's often used in the context of things that have a set validity period, such as passports, visas, or memberships.
- Deactivate is the most accurate synonym because it captures the idea that the passport will no longer be valid and cannot be used for travel once it expires.
Here's a breakdown of the other answer choices and their synonyms:
- Commence (synonyms: begin, start, initiate) - Opposite of expire, implying the passport's validity is just starting.
- Renew (synonyms: refresh, extend, reactivate) - Suggests extending the validity period of the passport, which is the opposite of what happens when it expires.
- Validate (synonyms: verify, confirm, legitimize) - Focuses on confirming the passport's legitimacy, not necessarily its expiration status.
Remembering "Expire":
Here are some additional details to help you remember "expire":
- Synonyms: end, cease to be valid, lapse, run out, lose effectiveness
- Antonyms: commence, begin, activate, renew, extend
- Examples:
- The credit card will expire next month, so be sure to renew it.
- The coupon has expired and can no longer be used.
- The effects of the medication will expire after a few hours. (figurative)
- The parking meter is about to expire, so I need to feed it more coins.
- The library card will expire if it's not used for a year.
Word Family & Collocation:
- "Expire" comes from the Latin verb "expirare," meaning "to breathe out" or "to come to an end."
- "Expire" is often collocated with words like "passport," "visa," "membership," "credit card," "coupon," "medication," "parking meter," "validity period," "renew," etc.
Other Tips:
- "Expire" is most commonly used in formal contexts, especially when referring to documents or things with a set lifespan.
- Be aware that "expire" can also be used figuratively to describe something that loses its effectiveness or relevance over time.
By understanding these details and context clues, you'll be able to identify the meaning of "expire" and similar vocabulary words effectively in the TOEFL test.
