WORDS IN THE NEWS
USE THE NEWS
HISTORY
PULSE OF THE PLANET
NEWS VIDEO
GEOGRAPHY
FRONT PAGE
CARTOONS IN THE CLASSROOM

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

Generate your own quiz
Select a grade level
 Elementary
 Middle School
 High School
Select a quiz type
 By words
 By Definitions
Select how many questions
5   10   15   20  

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. Quandary

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

► To cringe in fear

► A state of uncertainty or perplexity.

► A rebirth or revival.

2. Jaunty

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

► A picture or decorative design made by setting small colored pieces, as of stone or tile, into a surface.

► Any of various relatively small sailing or motor-driven vessels used for pleasure cruises or racing.

► Having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk.

3. Strategy

► The science and art of using all the forces of a nation to execute approved plans as effectively as possible during peace or war.

► A very large and destructive wave, generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean, such as an undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption.

► Not subject to an obligation imposed on others; exempt.

► Enforced isolation or restriction of free movement imposed to prevent the spread of contagious disease.

4. Metaphor

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

► One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.

► The arrangement of events in time

► The quality or state of being tranquil; serenity.

5. Guerrilla

► A treeless area between the icecap and the tree line of Arctic regions, having a permanently frozen subsoil and supporting low-growing vegetation

► Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles

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

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

Get more Quizzes 

 Elementary School    Middle School   High School  

 By Word     By Definition    5  10  15  20 Questions

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.