The smaller boys had always drawn back in fear when the bully raised a fist, but this time they did not ________
Answer Details
The word that best completes the sentence is "recoil". The sentence is describing a situation where a bully has previously been feared by the smaller boys, but this time they did not recoil or draw back in fear when he raised a fist. "Advance" and "agree" do not fit in the context of the sentence, and "retaliate" suggests a different action that the smaller boys might take in response to the bully's actions, which is not described in the sentence. Therefore, "recoil" is the best option.