Question

read the following passage about queen anne, who ruled england, ireland, and scotland from 1702 - 1707. then, answer the question that follows.
the women, instead of tempering the animosities of the time, blew up the flame of discord.
based on the use of \blew up\ as an antonym context clue, what can you infer the word tempering means in this passage?
to build up
to calm or lessen
to intensify
to make worse

Explanation:

The phrase "instead of" indicates an antonym relationship. "Blew up the flame of discord" means to intensify or make the conflict worse. So, "tempering" should be the opposite, which is to calm or lessen.

Answer:

To calm or lessen