Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ACQUAINTANCE

DEFINITION:
A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
When photographer Peter Turnley was just 20 years old, an acquaintance from the California Office of Economic Opportunity reached out to him with a question.
The Los Angeles Times, 12/01/2025

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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. Recede

A form of a verb that in some languages, such as English, can function independently as an adjective.

The locus of points for which the sum of the distances from each point to two fixed points is equal

Loud, noisy, and lacking in restraint or discipline

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


2. Spectrum

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

Having a backbone or spinal column.

A drawing consisting of the outline of something, especially a human profile, filled in with a solid color.

The distribution of energy emitted by a radiant source, arranged in order of wavelengths.


3. Impertinent

In a deplorable state of distress or misfortune; miserable.

One that speaks for, represents, or advocates

A closed plane figure bounded by three or more line segments.

Exceeding the limits of propriety or good manners; improperly forward or bold


4. Stereotype

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

A grotesque ornamental figure or projection.

Harmful, malevolent, injurious. Harmfully cancerous.

An embankment built to prevent flooding


5. Metaphor

Harmful, malevolent, injurious. Harmfully cancerous.

An embankment built to prevent flooding

The supporting and water-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting primarily of tracheids and vessels; woody tissue.

One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.


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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.