Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

SUREFIRE

DEFINITION:
Certain or likely, especially to succeed.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
Kirby taught himself how to count cards, a surefire way to get barred from gambling at a casino, “raking in money on trips to Atlantic City and Las Vegas,” the article stated.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal, 05/04/2026

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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. Chronology

An embankment built to prevent flooding

Of, relating to, or occurring in the night

The arrangement of events in time

The food-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting of sieve tubes, fibers, parenchyma, and sclereids.


2. Toxin

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

The main character in a drama or other literary work.

Either of two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator.

One who habitually takes advantage of the generosity of others without making any useful return.


3. Jaunty

Having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk.

A member of an irregular, usually indigenous military or paramilitary unit operating in small bands in occupied territory to harass and undermine the enemy

Strikingly unconventional and far-fetched in style or appearance; odd

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


4. Spectrum

Strikingly unconventional and far-fetched in style or appearance; odd

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

A rebirth or revival.

The distribution of energy emitted by a radiant source, arranged in order of wavelengths.


5. Typhoon

A weather phenomenon in the Eastern Pacific that is precisely equivalent to a hurricane.

The act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.

The quality or state of being tranquil; serenity.

To move back or away from a limit, point, or mark


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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.