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Identify the figure of speech used in the given sentence:

There was a deafening silence before the crest of the huge wave broke onto the deck.

Solution

✅ Correct Option: 2

'Deafening silence' places two contradictory terms side by side: silence cannot literally deafen. A figure of speech that combines opposite or incongruous words for effect is an oxymoron. It is not exaggeration (hyperbole), a play on words (pun), or a contrast between expectation and reality (irony).

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