Directions: Choose appropriate meaning of the words in bold as per their contextual use.

They were waiting for an answer but he needed more time to ruminate on the matter.

Ruminate means to think deeply about something, to ponder or reflect on at length. The context shows someone needing more time to think carefully before giving an answer. 'Ponder' means to think deeply about something, which matches perfectly. 'Chew over' is a colloquial expression that's too informal, 'mediate' means to negotiate between parties, and 'retract' means to take back a statement - none fit the context of deep thinking.