Choose the verb that forms the collocation meaning to achieve compromise between opposing forces:
National economic planners must ________ a delicate balance between aggressive infrastructural expansion and fiscal debt sustainability.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. strike
Answer: strike. Why not the others: 'hit a balance', 'reach a balance', and 'hold a balance' are unidiomatic variations.
- Step 1: Identify the idiom: finding a satisfactory compromise or equilibrium between two conflicting priorities is expressed by the fixed collocation 'strike a balance'.
- Step 2: The standard verb is 'strike'.
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