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. Participle

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

Of or relating to the range of invisible radiation wavelengths from about 4 nanometers, on the border of the x-ray region, to about 380 nanometers, just beyond the violet in the visible spectrum.

Being without or almost without hope

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


2. Gargoyle

A weather phenomenon in the Eastern Pacific that is precisely equivalent to a hurricane.

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

A grotesque ornamental figure or projection.

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


3. Marsupial

Any of various nonplacental mammals, including kangaroos, opossums, bandicoots, and wombats, found principally in Australia and the Americas.

One who rejects a religion, cause, allegiance, or group for another; a deserter.

A proportional part or share.

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


4. Recede

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

Incorrectness of reasoning or belief

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

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


5. Vacillate

Strikingly unconventional and far-fetched in style or appearance; odd

To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.

The arrangement of events in time

One that speaks for, represents, or advocates


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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.