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Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ADVERSE

DEFINITION:
Having a negative or harmful effect on something.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
There was no evidence of “any adverse or harmful chemical or other exposures,” he wrote.
The Boston Herald, 06/15/2026

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Words in the News Quiz
5 High 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. Gerrymander

To proceed completely around:

To remove erroneous, vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable material from (a book, for example) before publication.

Feeling or showing haughty disdain.

To divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.


2. Kowtow

To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of.

To show servile deference.

A part, portion, or share.

To picture falsely; misrepresent.


3. Laissez faire

The clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood, lymph, or intramuscular fluid in which cells are suspended.

To repeat in concise form. To make a summary.

Noninterference in the affairs of others.

To abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority.


4. Bowdlerize

A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.

The science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules.

Of or relating to a holding of something in trust for another.

To modify, as by shortening or simplifying or by skewing the content in a certain manner.


5. Detritus

To certify or attest to (the validity of a signature on a document, for example) as a notary public.

A product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away; debris.

To increase the positive charge or valence of (an element) by removing electrons.

To insert or introduce between other elements or parts.


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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.