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Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

PLOY

DEFINITION:
A cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
“First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” said the 44th president, conceding that it does serve as an effective distraction and ploy for attention.
The Boston Herald, 02/16/2026

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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. Tectonic

The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.

Tumultuous; stormy.

Architectural.

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


2. Lexicon

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

Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy.

Extremely rapid, hasty, or abrupt; precipitate.

A stock of terms used in a particular profession, subject, or style; a vocabulary:


3. Loquacious

Deception by trickery or sophistry.

To impress (something) upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repetition; instill.

Very talkative; garrulous.

A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.


4. Laissez faire

To repeat in concise form. To make a summary.

Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness.

Noninterference in the affairs of others.

Not limited to or associated with a particular religious denomination.


5. Filibuster

Put together; created.

The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action.

A reproductive cell having the haploid number of chromosomes, especially a mature sperm or egg capable of fusing with a gamete of the opposite sex to produce the fertilized egg.

To divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.


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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.