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. Division into ordered groups or categories.

Taxonomy

Reciprocal

Bellicose

Acumen


2. A form of government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of life,

Bellicose

Acumen

Detritus

Totalitarian


3. Cheerfully confident; optimistic.

Nomenclature

Paradigm

Sanguine

Pecuniary


4. Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning.

Thermodynamics

Epiphany

Ziggurat

Obsequious


5. Of, relating to, or produced by motion.

Jejune

Kinetic

Abjure

Vehement


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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.