Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ACQUAINTANCE

DEFINITION:
A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
When photographer Peter Turnley was just 20 years old, an acquaintance from the California Office of Economic Opportunity reached out to him with a question.
►The Los Angeles Times, 12/01/2025

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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. Outrageous

► A Y-shaped protein on the surface of B cells that is secreted into the blood or lymph in response to an antigenic stimulus

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

► Grossly offensive to decency or morality.

► A dense evergreen forest occupying a tropical region with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches.

2. Pulverize

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

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

► The systematic procedure by which a complex or scientific task is accomplished.

► A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms.

3. Labyrinth

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

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

► The quality or state of being tranquil; serenity.

► The locus of points for which the sum of the distances from each point to two fixed points is equal

4. Chronology

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

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

► The arrangement of events in time

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

5. Wretched

► A teacher and guide in spiritual and philosophical matters.

► A relationship of mutual benefit or dependence.

► In a deplorable state of distress or misfortune; miserable.

► The right or privilege of voting; franchise.

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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.