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 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. Pulverize

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

To pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust.

To move back or away from a limit, point, or mark

The branch of biology that deals with animals and animal life, including the study of the structure, physiology, development, and classification of animals.


2. Nuisance

The branch of biology that deals with animals and animal life, including the study of the structure, physiology, development, and classification of animals.

A state of uncertainty or perplexity.

Relating to a system of writing, such as that of ancient Egypt, in which pictorial symbols are used to represent meaning or sounds or a combination of meaning and sound.

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


3. Light-Year

Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous.

A grotesque ornamental figure or projection.

The distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year.

To rejoice greatly; be jubilant or triumphant


4. Laconic

An elevated, comparatively level expanse of land; a tableland.

Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise.

A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.

Loud, noisy, and lacking in restraint or discipline


5. Salmonella

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

A disorderly commotion or disturbance.

Either of two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator.

To take in by elaborate methods of deceit


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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.