ASVAB · Vocabulary in Context

Read: 'After the ambush, the unit was in a precarious position — outnumbered, low on ammunition, and with no secure extraction route.' In context, 'precarious' most nearly means:

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Correct answer

Dangerous and unstable; uncertain

A Strategically advantageous
B Comfortable
C Well-supplied
D Dangerous and unstable; uncertain

Why this is the answer

Context clues define precarious here even without knowing the word: 'outnumbered, low on ammunition, and with no secure extraction route' — every detail signals danger, instability, and uncertainty. Precarious = dependent on uncertain circumstances; dangerously unstable; likely to fall or fail. The Latin root 'precarius' means depending on the will of another (uncertain, unsafe). The context fully supports the meaning without needing root knowledge.

Source: ASVAB PC, Military Vocabulary in Context

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About this topic: Vocabulary in Context

Vocabulary-in-context questions ask what a word means as used in the passage. Substitute each answer into the sentence; the one that keeps the sentence's meaning is correct, even if the word has other meanings elsewhere. This is one of 13 Paragraph Comprehension questions on vocabulary in context, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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Read: 'After the ambush, the unit was in a precarious position — outnumbered, low on ammunition, and with no secure extraction route.' In context, 'precarious' most nearly means:

Why this is the answer

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About this topic: Vocabulary in Context

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