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. Metaphor

One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.

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

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.

Of, relating to, or occurring in the night


2. Tariff

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.

Of, relating to, or occurring in the night

Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar.

A schedule of prices or fees.


3. Flourish

To grow well or luxuriantly; thrive

Having a backbone or spinal column.

A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy.

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


4. Fallacy

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

To condescend to give or grant

Incorrectness of reasoning or belief

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


5. Divulge

A teacher and guide in spiritual and philosophical matters.

An unstable, poisonous allotrope of oxygen.

To pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust.

To proclaim publicly


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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.