Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

IMPROBABLE

DEFINITION:
Unlikely to take place under the circumstances or in the usual course of events.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
That’s where Democratic candidates are trying to accomplish the improbable by flipping a pair of Trump-friendly congressional seats and carving into Republicans’ narrow 218 to 213 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Key West Citizen-Herald, 03/31/2025

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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. Symbiosis

Grossly offensive to decency or morality.

A proportional part or share.

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

A relationship of mutual benefit or dependence.


2. Despondent

Being without or almost without hope

Having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk.

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

The act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.


3. Formidable

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

The act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.

Having or demonstrating enthusiasm

Inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder


4. Aspire

To have a great ambition or ultimate goal

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

Any of various nonplacental mammals, including kangaroos, opossums, bandicoots, and wombats, found principally in Australia and the Americas.

One that is inconvenient, annoying, or vexatious; a bother.


5. Analogy

Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar.

To condescend to give or grant

An alteration or change, as in nature, form, or quality.

To honor the memory of with a ceremony


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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.