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Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

PETITIONER

DEFINITION:
A person who pleads with a governmental institution for a legal remedy or a redress of grievances, through the use of a petition.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
While presenting the citizens’ petition for debate at the April 11 Spring Town Meeting, petitioners argued that ICE operations in Plymouth have “created fear” and “disrupted lives” among the immigrant community, leading to what they call a distrust of local police.
►The Boston Herald, 04/20/2026

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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. Undulate

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

► To move in waves or with a smooth, wavelike motion.

► To cringe in fear

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

2. Exponent

► An intricate structure of interconnecting passages through which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze.

► One that speaks for, represents, or advocates

► A member of an irregular, usually indigenous military or paramilitary unit operating in small bands in occupied territory to harass and undermine the enemy

► Appropriateness of behavior or conduct

3. Inference

► A relationship of mutual benefit or dependence.

► The act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.

► The food-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting of sieve tubes, fibers, parenchyma, and sclereids.

► A diffuse mass of interstellar dust or gas or both, visible as luminous patches or areas of darkness

4. Impertinent

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

► Self-examination.

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

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

5. Hypocrisy

► Grossly offensive to decency or morality.

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

► The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness.

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

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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.