Dicks acquired ____ ______ last year

• A. Nike
• B. Adidas
• C. Under Armour
• D. Foot Locker

Answer: (D)

This item hinges on matching an acquisition verb with the right two-word company name. The blank shows two words, so the thing being acquired should be a two-word entity. Foot Locker fits that pattern and is a well-known retail chain in the athletic space, making the sentence read as a plausible M&A news item: “Dick’s acquired Foot Locker last year.” It reads smoothly and matches the idea of a retailer buying another retailer in the same industry.

Under Armour is also two words, but as a brand rather than a store network, acquiring it would imply buying the brand rather than a chain, which makes the sentence feel less consistent with standard business news phrasing. Nike and Adidas are single words, so they don’t fit the two-word blank.