Final answer:
The correct word to use is 'demolish,' which means to forcefully tear down or destroy a structure, fitting the context of the police needing to get into the house.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct word to fill in the blank in the sentence 'The police, followed by the curious neighbors, had to ___________ the front gate and the entry doors to get into the house.' is demolish. The provided options are:
- Enervate, which means to cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality.
- Extricate, which implies freeing someone or something from a constraint or difficulty.
- Emanate, means to issue or spread out from a source.
- Demolish, which means to forcefully tear down or destroy a structure.
Based on the context of the sentence, which implies a forcible entry into the house, the appropriate word is demolish. 'Enervate' and 'emanate' do not fit the context because they are unrelated to the physical act of entering by force, and 'extricate' suggests removal from an entanglement or difficulty rather than breaking into a structure.