The manager commended the players for the narrow victory.

The italicized words are not marked in the text, so the most likely target is "narrow" in "narrow victory". (If it were "commended", the options would be words like "criticised", so the options confirm "narrow" is the one.)

Step 1: Analyze the question We need the word that is opposite in meaning to "narrow" in the phrase "narrow victory".

Step 2: Explain the concept A narrow victory is a win by a very small margin, a close and hard-fought win. So the antonym should describe a win that was not close, one achieved with little struggle.

Step 3: Test the options

• A. Difficult: a close win is usually difficult, so this is similar in meaning, not opposite.
• B. Unexpected: this is about surprise, not the margin of the win.
• C. Easy: a comfortable win with a big margin and little struggle. This is the opposite of a narrow, close win.
• D. Expected: this is also about predictions, not the margin.

Step 4: Answer The opposite of a "narrow victory" is an easy victory.

Tip: In antonym questions, first work out the meaning of the word in context. "Narrow" here means "by a small margin", not "thin in width". Then eliminate options that are synonyms (like "difficult") or that change the topic (like "expected" and "unexpected").