His ______ reply — just three words — silenced the hecklers completely and left the audience in stunned admiration at the sheer force of his restraint.
Correct: B
Laconic means using very few words, especially in a way that is deliberately brief and effectively witty or impactful. While terse, brusque, and curt all mean brief and to the point, laconic uniquely carries the connotation of deliberate, elegant brevity that is often witty or impactful. The context of silencing hecklers and leaving the audience in admiration at the 'sheer force of his restraint' points to laconic rather than the more negative or merely economical connotations of the other words.