to reject the validity of

• A. Specious
• B. Repudiate
• C. Stolid
• D. Soporific

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is choosing a word that means to deny or reject the truth, validity, or legitimacy of something. Repudiate fits that sense exactly: to repudiate a claim, contract, or idea is to refuse to accept it as valid or rightful, to disown or disavow it.

Specifically, repudiate conveys a decisive rejection or disowning, often in a formal or strong way. For example, a scientist might repudiate a theory after new evidence contradicts it, or a government might repudiate a treaty, denying its obligations.

The other options don’t capture that act of rejecting validity. Specious describes something that seems plausible but is actually misleading or false—it characterizes the nature of an argument, not the act of rejecting its truth. Stolid means emotionally unmoved or unresponsive, and soporific means sleep-inducing; neither relates to judging or denying the truth of a claim.