Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

WILDFIRE

DEFINITION:
An unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
It was not yet clear how the wildfires started, but a long drought, low humidity and strong winds were fueling them.
The Key West Citizen, 04/27/2026

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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. Quasar

A system of names used in an art or science:

Shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane.

An extremely distant, and thus old, celestial object whose power output is several thousand times that of our entire galaxy.

Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid.


2. Abjure

Lacking social polish; tactless.

An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system.

To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of.

To renounce under oath; forswear.


3. Precipitous

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

A part, portion, or share.

Extremely rapid, hasty, or abrupt; precipitate.

To certify or attest to (the validity of a signature on a document, for example) as a notary public.


4. Churlish

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

The science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules.

Eating and drinking in moderation.

Having a bad disposition; surly.


5. Diffident

To repeat in concise form. To make a summary.

Having one’s true identity concealed.

Division into ordered groups or categories.

Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid.


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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.