In the following question, a sentence is given having

Solution

"Dismissed" means rejected or disregarded, which fits because the theory was not accepted at first."Traction" means gaining acceptance or popularity, which fits the idea of the theory becoming more widely accepted over time. "Embraced, opposition" – If the theory was "embraced," it wouldn’t have faced initial rejection."Challenged, obscurity" – If it was "challenged," it doesn’t necessarily mean it was dismissed. "Obscurity" contradicts the idea of gaining recognition."Rejected, downfall" – "Downfall" implies failure, whereas the sentence suggests the theory eventually gained acceptance."Overlooked, stagnation" – "Overlooked" doesn’t mean outright rejection, and "stagnation" means no progress, which contradicts "gaining recognition."