Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

PLOY

DEFINITION:
A cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
“First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” said the 44th president, conceding that it does serve as an effective distraction and ploy for attention.
►The Boston Herald, 02/16/2026

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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. Parabola

► A plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the cone.

► A factor that determines a range of variations; a boundary

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

► To picture falsely; misrepresent.

2. Circumnavigate

► To picture falsely; misrepresent.

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

► To proceed completely around:

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

3. Taxonomy

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

► A system of names used in an art or science:

► Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective.

► Division into ordered groups or categories.

4. Kinetic

► The process in cell division by which the nucleus divides.

► The basic unit of currency among participating European Union countries.

► Eating and drinking in moderation.

► Of, relating to, or produced by motion.

5. Vortex

► Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all-powerful.

► A place or situation regarded as drawing into its center all that surrounds it.

► Either of two points on the celestial sphere at which the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator.

► Feeling or showing haughty disdain.

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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.