Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

BACKLOT

DEFINITION:
An area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who serves the 4th District, makes her way across an empty, unnamed backlot, presenting her case to be the city’s next mayor.
►The Los Angeles Times, 05/18/2026

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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. Orthography

► 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.

► Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy.

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

► To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of.

2. Thermodynamics

► Physics that deals with the relationships and conversions between heat and other forms of energy.

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

► The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.

► To repeat in concise form. To make a summary.

3. Vortex

► The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.

► To repeat in concise form. To make a summary.

► To certify or attest to (the validity of a signature on a document, for example) as a notary public.

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

4. Kinetic

► Lacking social polish; tactless.

► The act or process of inhaling and exhaling; breathing.

► Of, relating to, or produced by motion.

► Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective.

5. Quotidian

► Deception by trickery or sophistry.

► To make an accusation against.

► Everyday; commonplace.

► Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious.

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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.