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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 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. Fiduciary

Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious.

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

Not limited to or associated with a particular religious denomination.

Cheerfully confident; optimistic.


2. Nadir

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

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

The lowest point

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


3. Antebellum

Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid.

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

Belonging to the period before a war, especially the American Civil War.

Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.


4. Oxidize

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

Having a bad disposition; surly.

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

Very talkative; garrulous.


5. Orthography

The art or study of correct spelling according to established usage.

A part, portion, or share.

Something done or paid to compensate or make amends.

A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener.


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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.