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Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

BACKLOT

DEFINITION:
An area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who serves the 4th District, makes her way across an empty, unnamed backlot, presenting her case to be the city’s next mayor.
The Los Angeles Times, 05/18/2026

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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. Euro

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

To renounce under oath; forswear.

The basic unit of currency among participating European Union countries.

An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system.


2. Tectonic

A place or situation regarded as drawing into its center all that surrounds it.

Architectural.

A plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the cone.

Playfully jocular; humorous


3. Nihilism

A doctrine holding that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated.

Clear to the understanding.

Having one’s true identity concealed.

Any of numerous natural and synthetic compounds consisting of up to millions of repeated linked units,


4. Circumlocution

Any of numerous natural and synthetic compounds consisting of up to millions of repeated linked units,

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

The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.

Not limited to or associated with a particular religious denomination.


5. Quotidian

A diligent, dependable worker.

Everyday; commonplace.

To insert or introduce between other elements or parts.

Division into ordered groups or categories.


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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.