C. It automatically handles thread-safety for immutable objects. Here's why the other statements are true: A. Guarantees Exclusive Access: synchronized does ensure that only one thread can execute a synchronized block or method at a time, providing exclusive access. B. Applied to Methods and Blocks: synchronized can be used with both methods (entire method becomes synchronized) and code blocks (specific section of code becomes synchronized). D. Can Lead to Deadlocks: Improper use of synchronized can create deadlocks, where two or more threads are waiting for each other's locks indefinitely. Explanation for (c): Immutability itself ensures thread-safety. Since an immutable object's state cannot be changed after creation, multiple threads can access and use the same immutable object without any risk of data corruption. synchronized doesn't play a role in this inherent thread-safety of immutable objects.