Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

CANVASS

DEFINITION:
A systematic approach to interviewing residents, merchants, and others who are in the immediate vicinity of a crime and may have useful information.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
In a press release, police said Lewisville Fire Department officials pronounced the man deceased on the scene. Police started a homicide investigation immediately, and canvassed the area in search of witnesses.
The Denton Record-Chronicle, 09/14/2026

Generate your own quiz
Select a grade level
 Elementary
 Middle School
 High School
Select a quiz type
 By words
 By Definitions
Select how many questions
5   10   15   20  

Words in the News Quiz
5 Middle School Words

Click on the correct answer in the quiz below.
Then see if you can find the word in your newspaper -- the print edition, the website or the digital edition and copy the sentence for context. NOTE: High School words are much harder to find!


1. Rainforest

One that is inconvenient, annoying, or vexatious; a bother.

Having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk.

Something that is passed down from preceding generations; a tradition.

A dense evergreen forest occupying a tropical region with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches.


2. Light-Year

The distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year.

A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy.

Exceeding the limits of propriety or good manners; improperly forward or bold

The supporting and water-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting primarily of tracheids and vessels; woody tissue.


3. Outrageous

Exceeding the limits of propriety or good manners; improperly forward or bold

The supporting and water-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting primarily of tracheids and vessels; woody tissue.

A state of uncertainty or perplexity.

Grossly offensive to decency or morality.


4. Tumult

A disorderly commotion or disturbance.

A movement or procedure involving skill and dexterity.

Marked by hearty conviviality and good cheer.

Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective.


5. Bamboozle

A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms.

To take in by elaborate methods of deceit

Any of various relatively small sailing or motor-driven vessels used for pleasure cruises or racing.

One that takes in everything available, as with the mind.


Get more Quizzes 

 Elementary School    Middle School   High School  

 By Word     By Definition    5  10  15  20 Questions

Common Core State Standard
LS.CCS.4/5/6 Grades 3-12: Students are asked to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words through multiple choice vocabulary quizzes. Quizzes are designed to help students demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in words, acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words, and gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Students are then asked to find the words within the newspaper and copy the sentence for context to its overall meaning or function in a sentence.