Appeasement

As a detective, the crossword clue ‘Appeasement‘ immediately made me think of politics and diplomacy. I began to search my mental database for terms or phrases used in this context. Then, I remembered that during war or conflicts, sometimes military groups use standard-operating procedures (SOP) to carry out a plan of action or negotiate a deal for peace. This connection sparked my curiosity and prompted me to research cultural or historical references of appeasement. As I explored further, I discovered that the term SOP is often used in a military context to describe the act of giving in to hostile actors in exchange for peace or convenience. Hence, with this insight, I confidently filled in SOP as the answer, feeling like a true detective who has solved the mystery.