Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
The marketing campaign was so vague that its message failed to ____ with the target audience.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
sink in
Explanation
To determine the correct phrasal verb for the blank, analyze the contextual meaning of the sentence:
Contextual Meaning: The sentence describes a marketing campaign that was too unclear ("vague"). Because of this lack of clarity, the message was not fully understood, absorbed, or felt by the audience.
Phrasal Verb Definition: "Sink in" is an idiomatic phrasal verb that means to be fully understood, realized, or absorbed by someone's mind over time (e.g., "It took a moment for the bad news to sink in"). In this context, the vague message failed to "sink in" with the target audience.
Analysis of Other Options:
Sink on / Sink out / Sink through: These are not standard English phrasal verbs used to describe mental comprehension or communication impact.
Key Points
Core Idiom: To "sink in" = To be gradually understood or absorbed.
Exam Shortcut: When a sentence mentions a text, message, concept, or piece of news failing to reach or register with a person's mind, look immediately for the particle "in" to pair with the verb sink.