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 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. Inference

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

The act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.

To honor the memory of with a ceremony

Appropriateness of behavior or conduct


2. Hologram

Appropriateness of behavior or conduct

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

A cult or religious movement, a group sharing particular (often unorthodox) political and/or religious beliefs.

The pattern produced on a photosensitive medium that has been exposed by holography and then photographically developed.


3. Tsunami

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.

The drawing of a conclusion by reasoning; the act of deducing.

Having a backbone or spinal column.

A very large and destructive wave, generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean, such as an undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption.


4. Plateau

A fungus, usually of the class Ascomycetes, that grows symbiotically with algae,

Something that is passed down from preceding generations; a tradition.

A state of uncertainty or perplexity.

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


5. Guru

A disorderly commotion or disturbance.

A teacher and guide in spiritual and philosophical matters.

To stress or emphasize; intensify

A Y-shaped protein on the surface of B cells that is secreted into the blood or lymph in response to an antigenic stimulus


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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.