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. Deciduous

Logical incongruity

The iron-containing respiratory pigment in red blood cells of vertebrates.

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

The basic unit of currency among participating European Union countries.


2. Winnow

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

To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of.

To separate or get rid of (an undesirable part); eliminate.

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.


3. Ziggurat

A factor that determines a range of variations; a boundary

The act or process of inhaling and exhaling; breathing.

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

Put together; created.


4. Incontrovertible

The side of a right triangle opposite the right angle.

The predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others.

Impossible to dispute; unquestionable

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


5. Chromosome

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

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

Of, relating to, or produced by motion.

To make an accusation against.


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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.