Vocab A-Z

Question 1

This word describes ideas and arguments that don’t really matter. To trivial to think about.

Answer 1

Moot

A judge rejected the lawsuit on the grounds that the outcome of Prop 22 would render it “moot.”If your plane is crashing, whether or not your socks match is a moot point. When someone accuses you of making a moot point, he’s basically saying, “Come on! Let’s talk about what’s important.” As with so many things, people don’t always agree on what’s moot and what’s not.

Question 2

This word refers to lengthy, angry, and impassioned speech. It is the action of speaking, writing, or shouting in a loud, uncontrolled, or angry way, often saying confused or silly things.

Answer 2

Rantings

“His letters were the rantings of a crazy person.”

“This isn’t an argument, it’s just meaningless ranting.”

“At this point, we are not commenting on Michael Avenatti‘s rantings, Mark C. Moore told USA Today. He said, he didn’t think the conversation with him would have been as civil if it had not happened at the courthouse.”

Question 3

This word is another way to say that someone is crazy, insane, or out to lunch.

Answer 3

Unhinged

“Babysitting six kids between the ages of three and ten for an entire day might leave you feeling a little unhinged.”“More serious is when voters begin to worry that one of the presidential candidates is actually unhinged, appearing irrational and unpredictable.”

Question 4

This word is used to describe someone who has a bad disposition.

Answer 4

I’ll Tempered

Question 5

This is another word for criticism.

Answer 5

Flak

“But first, how does this keep happening?Another botched art restoration in Spain is gettingflak online because it looks like… Mr. Potato Head.”

Question 6

If you do something with this, you have exemptionorfreedomfrom punishment,harm, orloss.

Answer 6

Impunity

“Seldom has any country demonstrated a similar ability to strike with apparent impunity inside the territory of its fiercest enemy, said Bruce Riedel, a researcher at the Brookings Institution and a former official of the Central Intelligence Agency with experience in Israel.”

Question 7

This word means to scold, or express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner.

Answer 7

Admonish

“He admonished the child for his bad behavior”“Admonish is always used with an eye on improving someone’s behavior. The exact meaning of this formal verb varies in intensity depending generally on who is being corrected. If a child or subordinate is being admonished, it means “scold” or “rebuke” whereas if someone admonishes a person with equal standing, warn or advise are closer synonyms.”

Question 8

This word is used to describe someone who is stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion.

Answer 8

Obstinate

“Elizabeth disagreed forcefully, citing advice Theranos had received from its lawyers. She was so defensive and obstinate that Shoemaker quickly realized that prolonging the argument would be a waste of time. She clearly didn’t want to hear anything that contradicted her point of view.”

Question 9

This word means to reduce or play down. To make something small and less serious. To intentionally underestimate. Synonyms include diminish and play down.

Answer 9

Minimize

“Through it all, the coronavirus and its ravages on the country hung over the election and shaped the choice for voters. Facing an electorate already fatigued by his aberrant conduct, the president effectively sealed his defeat by minimizing a pandemic that has created simultaneous health and economic crises.”

Question 10

This word means devoid of strength or resources. Lacking the authority or capacity to act.

Answer 10

Powerless

“Barrett was grilled by Democrats who were strongly opposed to her nomination, yet virtually powerless to stop her.”

Question 11

This word describes a strong negative reaction or response by someone, or more often by a large number of people to a controversial political or social development.

Answer 11

Backlash

“Rapaport seems to be unbothered by the backlash, instead choosing to fan the flames rather than expressing remorse: “EAT SHIT SnowFlakes.”

Question 12

These type of words are insulting, disrespectful, unflattering, unkind, or demeaning.

Answer 12

Derogatory

Question 13

This word refers to something that seems like it was thought about after the fact and not during the initial phases of a project or process.

Answer 13

An afterthought

“Anyone with siblings and a father in their 70s knows him getting everyone’s names straight isn’t always guaranteed. Such was the case during Donald Trump’s post-impeachment-acquittal statement, when he mentioned his ‘whole” family and then seemed to throw Barron Trump in as an afterthought.”

Question 14

This word means to be thoroughly proficient or an expert. A highly skilled or well trained individual.

Answer 14

Adept

“Some of these predators are adept at covering their tracks online, using software to mask their location.”“Nadal is as adept at the net as he is at the baseline and he showed Thompson that flair for risk-taking to great advantage in a first set that lasted barely half an hour.”

Question 15

This word means a difficult, perplexing, or trying situation. Synonyms include dilemma, conundrum quagmire, pickle, and rabbit hole.

Answer 15

Predicament

“Yet even if Trump might cost Republicans the Senate and some of their most prominent members, he isn’t getting blamed, at least publicly, for their predicament.”

“The governor has gotten himself into quite a predicament.”

Question 16

This word means later than usual or when expected.

Answer 16

Belatedly

“As of Monday evening, Biden hadn’t commented on Murphy’s decision to belatedly do her job. But many Twitter users had strong opinions about her letter, specifically its tone.”

Question 17

This word means a minute or minor detail-usually used in its plural form.

Answer 17

Minutia

“He was bewildered by the contract’s minutiae.”

“The minutiae of meetings remains private, but the general gist is that it was a problem and it has been addressed.”

“I have a disturbing fascination with minutiae, general knowledge, pointless facts and other trivia.”

“He added it was only possible to iron out the minutiae of the details once the centre was open.”

Question 18

This word means occurring merely by chance or without intention or calculation.

Answer 18

Incidental

“Many said in interviews that any favorable outcome was incidental to their patronage.”

Question 19

This word means to make an official decision about who is right in a dispute or to come to an official conclusion about something.

Answer 19

Adjudicate

Question 20

This word is a synonym for pull or influence.

Answer 20

Clout

“Maine will have far less clout, it will receive far less by way of federal funding. And I would be replaced by an individual who’s…”

Question 21

This word is used to describe someone who favors or is inclined to start quarrels or wars. Synonyms include argumentative, belligerent, combative, confrontational, feisty, and quarrelsome.

Answer 21

Bellicose

Question 22

This word can be used to describe behavior or speech that is meant to excite factions, quarrels, or sedition.

Answer 22

Incendiary

“He also defended his incendiary attacks on the press.”

Question 23

This word refers to parts of a discourse that surround a word or passage and can throw light on its meaning.

Answer 23

Context

“The Vatican has sought to clarify Pope Francis’ comments in support of same-sex civil unions, saying they were taken out of context and do not signal a change in doctrine.

“The book puts these events in their proper historical and social contexts.

“We need to consider these events in context.”

Question 24

This word means to decrease in size, extent, or degree. To become less brilliant and powerful. To diminish.

Answer 24

Wane

“Mortar and rocket attacks against the embassy have waned over the past several weeks, and the task to shutter the largest American diplomatic mission in the world could take months to complete.”

Question 25

When someone takes liberties, doing things too boldly, you can describe them with this adjective…

Answer 25

Presumptuous

“At the end of a lengthy, contentious interview, the anchor asked if Barr would serve in President Trump’s second term if he wins reelection, a question Barr thought was “presumptuous” for him to answer.”“I said it was “presumptuous” for white people like me to say we knew Native Americans’ interests better than they did.”

Question 26

This word is used to describe behavior in keeping with good taste, propriety, conduct, appearance, and professionalism. Orderliness. Etiquette.

Answer 26

Decorum

“The president downplayed a federal judges decision to restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s White House press pass but derided an alleged lack of decorum among reporters who cover the administration.”“She accepted his report, not without obvious sadness but with business-like decorum and no sign of tears.”

Question 27

This word means to lack the least bit of courage. Cowardly.

Answer 27

Craven

Question 28

This word means helping to commit a crime or do wrong in some way.

Answer 28

Complicit

Question 29

This word means to disqualify (oneself) as judge in a particular case. Broadly, it means to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest.

Answer 29

Recuse

“Barrett was grilled by Democrats who were strongly opposed to her nomination, yet virtually powerless to stop her. The democrats did not like that she would not agree to recuse herself from post election related cases.”

Question 30

This word refers to a concept or belief about something.

Answer 30

Notion

Question 31

This phrase refers to an instance or example that illustrates what is being discussed.

Answer 31

Case in Point

“Americans are increasingly and understandably impatient about tight and even draconian restrictions on their daily lives because of the pandemic. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that they become outraged when those who impose the rules fail to live by them. Case in point: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent fancy dinner in Napa Valley.”

Question 32

This word means to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively —often used with in or to.

Answer 32

Acquiesce

“They demanded it, and he acquiesced.”“Apparently, the contractor expected me to acquiesce to my own fleecing.”

Question 33

This word refers to a framework, discipline, standard, perspective, or set of ideas. It is a way of looking at something.

Answer 33

Paradigm

Question 34

This word refers to a feeling of contempt for someone or something regarded as unworthy or inferior.

Answer 34

Disdain

The divided judgment — a rare example of ticket splitting in partisan times — demonstrated that, for many voters, their disdain for the president was as personal as it was political.

Question 35

To suggest or introduce something gradually or in a subtle, indirect, or covert way.

Answer 35

Insinuate

Question 36

This idiom means what is expected. Normal.

Answer 36

Par For The Course

“For Mike, that is just par for the course.”

Question 37

This word refers to a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, color, or sound.

Answer 37

Nuance

“Critics say the new test is harder for English learners. It features more nuanced questions and highlights such issues as states’ rights and the Vietnam War.”

Question 38

This word means essentially similar, related, or compatible.

Answer 38

Akin

If two things are akin, then they’re similar or related. A cupcake is akin to a cake and relatives are akin to each other.Football is akin to the sport of rugby; baseball is akin to the British sport cricket. Mice are akin to rats, and rats are akin to gerbils, hamsters, and squirrels. Things that are akin are alike.

Question 39

This word means nervously excited. Synonyms include antsy, edgy, and jittery.

Answer 39

Aflutter

“Six weeks ago, eight weeks ago, you never heard of this. All of a sudden, it’s got the world aflutter,” Trump said.

Question 40

This word means to make less by or as if by cutting off or away some part.

Answer 40

Curtail

“Trump’s critics have slammed the administration for failing to impose a genuine plan to curtail the infections.”

Question 41

This word refers to something that is interpreted in a wrong or inaccurate way. It is…

Answer 41

Misconceived

Question 42

This word describes bitter criticism or malice. Bitterly harsh or caustic language or criticism.

Answer 42

Vitriol

“For some of her supporters, the vitriol Ms. Harris had to withstand was another aspect of her experience they found relatable.

Question 43

This word means to actually or appear to make great or greater.

Answer 43

Aggrandize

If you are a window washer, but you refer to yourself as a “vista enhancement specialist,” then you are aggrandizing your job title — that is, making it sound greater than it is.The verb aggrandize not only means “to make appear greater”; it can also be used to mean simply “to make greater.” If you buy an estate and sink millions of dollars into its improvement, then you are actually aggrandizing the estate. If you are making yourself seem greater, then people may say you are “self-aggrandizing.”

Question 44

This word refers to a violation of a rule of behavior, manners, or etiquette.

Answer 44

Impropriety

“So while it is fitting and proper to wear a bikini top and a sarong to the beach, to do so at church would be considered an impropriety.”

“A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Saturday night dismissed a lawsuit by the Trump campaign that had claimed there were widespread improprieties* with mail-in ballots in the state, ending the last major effort to delay the certification of Pennsylvania’s vote results, which is scheduled to take place on Monday.”

Question 45

This word means to make a doubt, feeling, or belief disappear.

Answer 45

Dispel

“What was needed was fast, transparent and science-based communication todispelmisinformation and conspiracy theories and to show that these deaths were likely just coincidences.”

“As millions of converts download chess apps and buy boards, it’s time todispela few myths about this ancient game.”

Question 46

This word is a synonym for something or someone that is timeless or lasting. Synonyms include ageless, timeless, continuing, and perpetual.

Answer 46

Enduring

“Even in defeat, though, Mr. Trump demonstrated his enduring appeal to many white voters and his intense popularity in rural areas, underscoring the deep national divisions that Mr. Biden has vowed to heal.”

Question 47

This word means to criticize someone severely. To rebuke. To censure or scold severely.

Answer 47

Chastise

“Minutes before, Oswalt chastised Trump’s press conference, writing, “Some solid ‘Top Kia Salesman in Southeastern Kansas Award Ceremony’ energy at this Trump press conference right now.”

“About an hour later, at a second stop in Philadelphia, Biden chastised the effort by Trump supporters to intimidate his campaign over the past few days.”

Question 48

This word is used when you want to make something appear less important than it really is. You are…

Answer 48

Downplaying

“The president downplayed a federal judges decision to restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s White House press pass but derided an alleged lack of decorum among reporters who cover the administration.”

Question 49

This word refers to the repetition of words ideas or acts that you or someone else may have said.

Answer 49

Echoed

In a June 10 column in USA TODAY, Biden said: “Across the board –from our classrooms to our courtrooms to the president’sCabinet– we have to make sure that our leadership and our institutions actually look like America.”

In his first speech as president-elect, Biden echoed that message: “I said from the outset I wanted a campaign that represented America, and I think we did that. Now that’s what I want the administration to look like.”

Question 50

This word means to fall into obscurity or decline.

Answer 50

Eclipse

“The politicians of the Gilded Age faded from the public eye, their luster eclipsed by those who had influenced America outside of political office during that time: therobber Barron’s, the inventors, those who had sought social reform, and others who had lived as America rapidly changed.”

Question 51

This word describes instruction of an individual or group of people, a guiding influence.

Answer 51

Tutelage

“Each year US officials swear that the Iraqi military is getting ever closer to combat readiness, but the half-steps that military takes under American tutelage never seem to get it into fighting shape.”

Question 52

This word means to not be bound by formal rules, procedures, or guidelines. To be loose and undisciplined.

Answer 52

Freewheeling

“But the days of unsupervised, freewheeling medical experimentation by the military were long gone.”

Question 53

This word means to withdraw or repudiate (a statement or belief) formally and publicly.

Answer 53

Recant

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Attorney General William Barr each cited a federal postal worker who claims that supervisors tampered with ballots. But the worker subsequently recanted in a sworn statement to investigators. (He has since recanted his recantation.)”

Question 54

This word describes a principal item of a policy or program.

Answer 54

Plank

“President Trump’s White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows made quite a telling admission. “We’re not going to control the pandemic,” Meadows said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, suggesting that the spread of the virus was fate acompli (a thing accomplished, and presumably irreversible) and that containment was not a central plank* (principal item of a policy or program) of the White House’s strategy.”

Question 55

This word means to be loud, excited, and emotional. It could also mean something or someone that is marked by violent or overwhelming turbulence or upheaval.

Answer 55

Tumultuous

“Biden Wins Presidency, Ending Four Tumultuous Years Under Trump”Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was elected the 46th president of the United States on Saturday, promising to restore political normalcy and a spirit of national unity to confront raging health and economic crises, and making Donald J. Trump a one-term president after four years of tumult in the White House.

Question 56

This word is used to describe someone who is awkwardly blundering or faltering. They can be prone to or marked by foolish mistakes.

Answer 56

Bumbling

Question 57

This type of person is arrogant or conceited. He’ll walk into a party with an inflated ego, ready to tell anyone who will listen that “I’m kind of a big deal.”

Answer 57

Pompous

“In the first season episode titled “The Gunslinger” he encounters a band during a bounty hunting mission with a pompous rookie eager to prove himself.”

Question 58

This word means to be light heartedly silly, joyfully elated or euphoric.

Answer 58

Giddy

Question 59

This word is used to describe someone who feels perfect assured of themselves even though they may be wrong. Synonyms include cocky, brazen, impudent, insolent, and sassy.

Answer 59

Cocksure

Question 60

Serving as conclusive evidence of something. Giving proof. Serving to demonstrate, explanatory or illustratively.

Answer 60

Demonstrative

Question 61

This word means to observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction, gratification, or delight.

Answer 61

Gloat

“Russia quiet after gloating over U.S. election disarray.”

Question 62

This word describes someone who is dressed in an unattractive way. They are dull and drab. They are out of date style-wise. If you want to get on your mom’s bad side, tell her she looks this way.

Answer 62

Frumpy

“At eighteen, Elizabeth Manwill was an easy target for mockery: glasses perpetually sliding down her nose, forehead knobby with acne, clothes frumpy and ill fitting”

Question 63

This word is used to describe a high point or a climactic stage in a process.

Answer 63

Culminate/Culminating/Culminated

“The legal battle culminated in a Supreme Court ruling this summer in which the justices said the president had not followed proper procedures to end the program.”

Question 64

This word refers to overtly and often exaggeratedly threatening actions or statements (such as verbal threats or ostentatious displays of military power) that are meant to intimidate an enemy by suggesting possible use of force. It also means to issue threatening statements or actions when the word is not used in a military sense.

Answer 64

Saber Rattling

“But Jager insists that North Korean saber-rattling was aimed mostly at extorting economic aid from Washington, Seoul and other governments anxious to preserve peace at almost any price.”

“Iran’s noisy saber rattling is only the latest lurch in its erratic foreign policy.”

“But if Theranos thought this saber rattling would make us stand down, it was mistaken. Over the next three weeks, we published four more articles.”

Question 65

This word means to reject something. To refuse to accept or support it.

Answer 65

Repudiate

“This verb usually refers to rejecting something that has authority, such as a legal contract, doctrine, or claim. In connection with debts or other obligations, repudiate is used in the specialized sense “to refuse to recognize or pay.” If referring to a child or a lover, repudiate is used in the sense “to disown, cast off.” This verb is derived from Latin repudiare “to put away, divorce.”

Question 66

This word is used to describe someone who is marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful. They may dismiss important matters. This can describe themselves or their attitude.

Answer 66

Cavalier

Question 67

This word refers to a survey or review of a past course of events or period of time.

Answer 67

Retrospect

Question 68

This word means to have a lot of freedom or action of choice.

Answer 68

Latitude

“Journalists have considerable latitude in criticizing public figures.”

Question 69

This word means to set (someone) free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt.

Answer 69

Absolve

“The jury absolved the defendants of their crimes.”“Her youth does not absolve her of responsibility for her actions.”

Question 70

This word describes a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.ru

Answer 70

Respite

“If you’ve been fighting with your partner, a visit from a friend might offer a brief respite from the argument, but the fight will pick up again when she leaves.”

Question 71

This word means to manipulate someone or a group of people into questioning their own sanity.

Answer 71

Gaslight

“If your narrative is accurate, I’d say that Paula is an abusive girlfriend who is using your insecurity and the power deficit in your relationship to gaslight and control you.”

Question 72

This word is used to describe someone who is easily upset or irritable. They are requiring or give close attention to details. Synonyms include choosy, demanding, fastidious, finicky, particular, and picky.

Answer 72

Fussy

Question 73

This word means to approach and speak to (someone) in an often challenging or aggressive way.

Answer 73

Accost

“He was accosted by a stranger on the street.”“He was accosted by three gang members on the subway.”

Question 74

This word means to free of confusion and to make something understandable.

Answer 74

Clarify

Question 75

This word means in spite of. It is used as a preposition when something happens even though it might have been prevented by something else.

Answer 75

Despite

“You might go see a movie despite hearing a review calling it worse than Ishtar.”

“We just need somebody with courage to do what they have to do,” said Trump, who has pressured legislators in several Biden states to push for pro-Trump electors, despite the factthat state officials lack the legal authority to do that in defiance of their states’ voters.”

Question 76

This word is used to describe a capricious or eccentric and often sudden idea or turn of the mind.

Answer 76

Whim

As we’ve seen with the President’s haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the President’s erratic whims.”

“He quit his job on a whim”

Question 77

This word is used to describe someone who’s grief, sense of loss, or trouble can’t be alleviated or consoled. Synonyms include despondent, down, low spirited, miserable, mournful, or sad.

Answer 77

Inconsolable

Question 78

This word is used to describe someone who is removed or distant, either physically or emotionally.

Answer 78

Aloof

Question 79

This word means friendly or goodwill. Peaceable. Use it when describing relations one might otherwise expect to beunfriendly.

Answer 79

Amicable

“Megan lists the couple’s date of separation as November 2019. Brian filed a response agreeing to all of her requests … which means things were amicable.”

Question 80

This word is used to describe something that is marked by a lack of a plan, order, or direction. All over the place.

Answer 80

Haphazard

“As we’ve seen with the President’s haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the President’s erratic whims.”

Question 81

This is a pejorative term for someone perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is appropriate or necessary. A common stereotype is that of a white woman who uses her privilege to demand her own way at the expense of others. Depictions also include demanding to “speak to the manager”, being racist, being anti-vaccination, or sporting a particular bob cut hairstyle. As of 2020, the term was increasingly being used as a general-purpose term of disapproval for middle-aged white women.

Answer 81

Karen

Question 82

This is another word for hard and blunt.

Answer 82

Stark

“What started as a lopsided election cycle with Republicans defending 23 seats, compared with 12 for Democrats, quickly became a more stark referendum on the president as Democrats reached deeper into Trump country and put the GOP on defense.”

Question 83

This word means to proceed to what follows without pause. To make a transition without interruption from one activity, topic, scene, or part to another.

Answer 83

Segued

“She quickly segued to the next topic.”

“The band smoothly segued from one song to the next.”

“In the movie, a shot of the outside of the house segued neatly to a shot of the family inside the house.”

“Sarmiento, a 2017 Air Force Academy graduate, segued eas- ily, she said.”

Question 84

This word is used to describe someone who is noisily turbulent, exuberant, and in high spirits. Stormy and tumultuous are also good descriptors.

Answer 84

Boisterous

Question 85

This word means something that is extremely complex and difficult to understand or follow (especially of an argument, story, or sentence).

Answer 85

Convoluted

“ It was a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before.”

Question 86

This word refers to something that is so old, that it’s no longer useful, popular, or accepted.

Answer 86

Antiquated

Question 87

This word means with undue hurry and confusion. Lacking a visible order and organization. Helter-skelterthings are disorganized, hasty, and completely random.Synonyms include haphazard and all over the place.

Answer 87

Helter Skelter

Yourhelter-skelter housekeeping style will definitely not impress your tidy grandmother when she comes to visit.”

Question 88

This word is used to describe someone who is a rude or vulgar fool. Buffoon. They were badly brought up and they show a bad upbringing. They are impolite.

Answer 88

Clown

Question 89

This word can be used to describe behavior or speech that is meant to excite factions, quarrels, or sedition.

Answer 89

Incendiary

Question 90

This word means to meditate on or ponder a subject. It also means to review something idly or casually and often inconclusively. You don’t want to assume anything.

Answer 90

Speculate

“If you want me to speculate, I’d say it ran far deeper than that.”

“I’m not going to speculate on…”

Question 91

This word is used to describe things that are trivial and shouldn’t matter much. Contemptible narrow in outlook. Most uses of petty since the 16th century are negative, as in “narrow-minded,” “trivial,” and “of little importance.”

Answer 91

Petty

A “petty argument” is a popular expression, because many people get all worked up over something that isn’t very important — a petty concern — that seems much smaller after the heat of the moment.

Question 92

This word means to sooth or mollify, especially by concessions. Appease. Synonyms include pacify and mollify.

Answer 92

Placate

Question 93

This term is used to describe a person or plan that has no chance of succeeding or being effective.

Answer 93

A Non Starter

Question 94

If someone is described as this, they are friendly, pleasant, and easy to talk to.

Answer 94

Affable

“An affable host offers you something to drink and makes you feel at home.”

“It recounts his Hollywood years and the skills he learned as an actor — the bright smile, his affable if slightly inscrutable affect — that made him such a powerful candidate for president.”

The adjective affable entered English by way of the Latin word affābilis, which means “kind, friendly.” If you’re stuck on an airplane next to someone affable, the trip won’t be so bad because that person will be easy to chat with but won’t talk your ear off. Synonyms of affable also refer to a pleasant and mild friendliness, such as genial, hospitable, and gracious. Affable people generally seem like they’re in a good mood and are happy to see you.

Question 95

This adjective describes things that are unpredictable, unusual, and that deviate from the norm. Having no fixed course. Characterized by lack of consistency, regularity, or uniformity.

Answer 95

Erratic

Even as they scarcely hide their strong preference for Biden after what they see as years of erratic Trumpian abuse and abdication of U.S. leadership, allies in Western Europe say they are under no illusions.

Question 96

This word describes a person or thing that is chronologically out of place.

Answer 96

Anachronism

“And there will be new demands that the Electoral College be abolished as an awful anachronism, especially if Trump loses the popular vote.”

Question 97

This word means to draw special attention to a fact, idea, or situation. You want to make something evident, you want to stress it.

Answer 97

Underscore

“Even in defeat, though, Mr. Trump demonstrated his enduring appeal to many white voters and his intense popularity in rural areas, underscoring the deep national divisions that Mr. Biden has vowed to heal.”

Literally, underscore means “to underline,” or draw a line beneath a word to emphasize it. In common speech, to underscore something is to call attention to it. If a worker sustained an injury on the job, for instance, the event would underscore the need for workplace safety.

Underscore is also used to mean “emphasize.” During a job interview, you want to underscore any experience that relates to the job you are applying for.

Question 98

This word means to divide. Something that’s been split into two sides that are so different, it seems as though they’re from opposite ends of the earth — like the North Pole and the South Pole.

Answer 98

Polarize

Political parties have long been polarized by different views and approaches to government. But you’ll also find polarized soda devotees arguing over the merits of Coke vs. Pepsi. Any topic that is controversial can polarize a population, especially if the topic inspires either a fiercely “pro” or fiercely “con” reaction. Topics such as gun control and health care reform have been known to polarize Congress.

“The issue has polarized the nation.”

Question 99

This word means a significant or embarrassing error or mistake. Blunder.

Answer 99

Faux Pas

“Mr. Newsom breached his own administration’s public-health guidance to attend an extravagant birthday gathering at the French Laundry restaurantfor a longtime political adviser.” Critics have seized on the faux pas, adding to the challenges Mr. Newsom already has as his state grapples with…”

Question 100

This word refers to a remedy for all ills and difficulties. A cure all.

Answer 100

Panacea

Question 101

This phrase describes an immovableblockorobstruction.

Answer 101

A Brick Wall

Question 102

This word refers to placing (different things) side by side (as to compare them or contrast them or to create an interesting effect).

Answer 102

Juxtapose

See the word “pose” in juxtapose? When you juxtapose, you are “posing” or positioning things side by side.The verb juxtapose requires contrasting things placed next to one other:

“The collage juxtaposed pictures of Jane while she was growing up and as an adult.” Juxtapose is used often when referring to contrasting elements in the arts.”

“The music juxtaposed the instrumentation of jazz with the harmonies of soul.”

Question 103

This word refers to someone who works for someone else and tries to get ahead by kissing up to his superiors. Similar to sycophant or brown nosers.

Answer 103

Lackey

“A lot of Twitter users were describing her letter as Self-pitying, self-righteous, self-justifying, and self aggrandizing. Someone described her as a Trump lackey.”

Question 104

This word is used to describe someone who causes displeasure, annoyance, or anger. Synonyms include abrasive, aggravating, annoying, bothersome, frustrating, irksome, maddening, peeving, or vexing.

Answer 104

Irritating

Question 105

This word describes foreknowledge of events. Foresight. Human anticipation of the course of events.

Answer 105

Prescient

“Almost two months before the 2016 presidential election, Dave Wasserman, an editor at the non partisan Cook Political Report, wrote a prescient piece.”

Question 106

This word means tending to overwhelm or intimidate.

Answer 106

Daunting

Joseph R. Biden Jr. achieved victory offering a message of healing and unity. He will return to Washington facing a daunting set of crises.Few things are more daunting than having to speak in front of a large crowd.Shakespeare’s plays can be daunting for a young reader.Often used in the phrases “daunting prospect” and “daunting task,” daunting describes something that you are not looking forward to doing. Having to fill out complicated tax forms every year is a daunting task for many people. Once a daunting task is complete, you no longer describe it as daunting, but instead can call it a job well done, or at least another life experience survived.

Question 107

This word means to echo what someone else has said without understanding or thinking about its meaning.

Answer 107

Parrot/Parroted

“Flynn also lied to Vice President Mike Pence about those convos – and Pence parroted those to the media.”

Question 108

A comment that is considered this, is very stupid and shows that the speaker doesn’t care about other people’s feelings. It shows grossness of mind, precludes delicacy and discrimination.

Answer 108

Crass

“A woman who stopped to argue as Rose campaigned recently outside a supermarket said, “The president is crass and rude but he didn’t deserve to be impeached.”“Also, not to be crass here again, but making the confirmation process a spectacle would definitely be good for fundraising.”

Question 109

This word means to almost do something but not quite. You decide to…

Answer 109

Stop Short of

“While Mr. Biden stopped short of claiming victory as the week unfolded, he appeared several times in his home state, Delaware, to express confidence that he could win, while urging patience as the nation awaited the results.”

Question 110

This word refers to a statement (such as a response) that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said.

Answer 110

Non Sequitur

“We were talking about the new restaurant when she threw in some non sequitur about her dog.”

Question 111

This word means to laugh at or insult contemptuously. To subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule or criticism. It can also be used to express a lack of respect or approval of.

Answer 111

Deride

“The president downplayed a federal judges decision to restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s White House press pass but derided an alleged lack of decorum among reporters who cover the administration.

“The politicians derided their opponents after…”

“They were derided after saying…”