Which phrase is an example of synecdoche?

• A. The stadium roared with energy.
• B. The suits on the board approved the plan.
• C. The crowd gathered to cheer.
• D. Hands for workers.

Answer: (D)

Synecdoche occurs when a part is used to refer to the whole (or vice versa). In “Hands for workers,” the part “hands” stands for the workers themselves—the people who do the work. It’s a classic part-for-whole substitution: the hands are what workers use, so mentioning hands stands in for the workers as a group.

The other phrases don’t use a part to represent the whole in this way. For example, the stadium roared with energy assigns a human action to a place (personification), and while “suits” can be a shorthand for executives, it’s more a label for a group than a body-part substitution. The phrase about the crowd is just a straightforward description without a figure of speech.