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Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

PROACTIVE

DEFINITION:
Taking action to control a situation rather than responding to it after it has happened.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
LoPilato said the policy aims to be proactive, rather than allowing more violence to take place before regulating the problem.
The Los Angeles Times, 07/20/2026

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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. Vehement

A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.

To bring under control; conquer.

Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid.

Playfully jocular; humorous


2. Filibuster

The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action.

Division into ordered groups or categories.

The iron-containing respiratory pigment in red blood cells of vertebrates.

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


3. Nadir

The lowest point

A circular strand of DNA in bacteria that contains the hereditary information necessary for cell life.

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

A doctrine holding that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated.


4. Expurgate

To separate or get rid of (an undesirable part); eliminate.

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

To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of.

The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.


5. Kinetic

Falling off or shed at a specific season or stage of growth:

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

Of, relating to, or produced by motion.

Having a harmful effect; injurious.


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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.