Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ACQUAINTANCE

DEFINITION:
A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
When photographer Peter Turnley was just 20 years old, an acquaintance from the California Office of Economic Opportunity reached out to him with a question.
►The Los Angeles Times, 12/01/2025

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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. Nuisance

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

► A preparation of a weakened or killed pathogen.

► Having or demonstrating enthusiasm

► A prohibition by a government on certain or all trade with a foreign nation

2. Yacht

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

► The locus of points for which the sum of the distances from each point to two fixed points is equal

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

► A grotesque ornamental figure or projection.

3. Polygon

► A closed plane figure bounded by three or more line segments.

► An alteration or change, as in nature, form, or quality.

► Of, relating to, or occurring in the night

► One that speaks for, represents, or advocates

4. Quandary

► A state of uncertainty or perplexity.

► To condescend to give or grant

► Inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder

► The main character in a drama or other literary work.

5. Sacrifice

► Forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim.

► Any of several rod-shaped bacteria, of the genus Salmonella, that cause food poisoning and other diseases.

► A teacher and guide in spiritual and philosophical matters.

► The science and art of using all the forces of a nation to execute approved plans as effectively as possible during peace or war.

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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.