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Re: Oftentimes, when administrators force teachers to cleave too
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14 Oct 2017, 15:39
Explanation
The end of this sentence makes it clear that the teachers in question are not happy about having to stick to a prescribed curriculum. Crushed, confounded, walloped, and tormented are all negative, but all of them miss the meaning of the sentence (and no two of them make a good pair).
Crushed means “emotionally devastated” and tends to apply to things that happen all at once — a breakup, not getting a promotion, etc.
Hence options thwarted, undermined are best fit!