scorn
subserve
recall
declare
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
The correct answer is A. scorn.
To pillory someone is to publicly shame them, usually by putting them in a stocks or other humiliating position. This is often done as a form of punishment, but it can also be done as a way of expressing public disapproval.
The other options are not as closely related to the meaning of “pillory.”
- To subserve someone is to serve them or their interests.
- To recall someone is to remove them from office.
- To declare something is to make a public statement about it.
In the context of the question, “Public opinion will pillory these agents of crime,” the most likely meaning is that public opinion will express its disapproval of these people by publicly shaming them.