Synonym Clues
Losing a family member is a very traumatic experience. For some people, losing a pet can be just as agonizing.
What is the meaning of traumatic as it is used in this sentence?
A. frustrating
B. distressing
C. thoughtful
The cost of the car that dad gave us was approximate, however, the salesman will be able to give an exact price tomorrow.
What does the word approximate mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. estimated
B. definite
C. amount
You and your friend are sitting by the pool shooting the breeze, talking about school and video games.
What does the idiom, "shooting the breeze" mean in this sentence?
A. Using a fan
B. Having casual conversation
C. Feeling chilly
After the illness, he was skin and bones. It took him two months to get back to his regular weight.
What does "skin and bones" mean in this sentence?
A. his skin was dry
B. he was extremely thin
C. he still had symptoms from his illness
My teacher insinuated, or hinted, that there might be a quiz tomorrow by saying, "You should really look at your notes tonight".
What does the word insinuated mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. suggested
B. guessed
C. surprised
There was restricted, or limited, access to the backstage area at the concert.
What does restricted mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. strict
B. limit the size or amount of something
C. concert tickets
If you look inside of most classrooms, you will not see chalkboards because they are nearly obsolete in education today. On the other hand, Smart boards are a modern tool now used by teachers in the classroom.
What does the word obsolete mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. used often
B. sometimes used
C. no longer used
With the principal standing directly behind her, Kaci was all thumbs as she tried the combination on her locker.?
What does, "all thumbs" mean as it is used in this sentence
A. had more than two thumbs
B. was extremely guilty
C. was clumsy with her hands
The new accountant got the can after a miscalculation cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.
What does "got the can" mean in this sentence?
A. got a can to put money in
B. got fired from his job
C. added wrong
Rachel knew her mom had a long and tiring day at work, so she decided to go the extra mile. Not only did she do the laundry like her mom asked her to, she also cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen.
What does, "go the extra mile" mean, as it is used in this sentence?
A. walk a mile to the store
B. show extra effort
C. ask mom what was wrong
Sheila was unhappy when she realized that the adjacent house played loud music at night that made her walls shake. She couldn't sleep due to the disturbances at the neighboring house too, and was exhausted.
What is the meaning of adjacent as it is used in this sentence?
A. opposite side
B. diagonal from
C. next to
Unlike my sister who is a cynic and doubts everyone, I am a believer and think that most people are sincere and trustworthy.
What does the word cynic mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. a person who doesn't trust
B. a person who trusts everyone
C. an evil person
Jeremy and his sister decided that they would buy their mom a new robe for her birthday. The next day, their mom came home from the mall with a new robe she had bought for herself. Jeremy turned to his sister and said, "Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board". Any other ideas?"
What does, "it's back to the drawing board" mean in this sentence?
A. Let's get her a drawing board.
B. We need to think of another idea.
C. We have the perfect idea.
When the father caught his young son with five candy bar wrappers, the boy had guilty "written all over his face." His father then understood why "Snickers" was written on the grocery list after only one week.
What does "written all over his face" mean in this sentence?
A. it was clear that he was innocent
B. it was clear that he was guilty
C. it was clear that he was lazy
I was mortified when I tripped and fell during my dance performance, however, my dad said he was so proud of me for trying my best.
What does the word mortified mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. afraid
B. depressed
C. humiliated
Kelly's doctor told her the test results showed her blood was deficient in vitamin A; she was equally lacking in vitamin D.
What does the word deficient mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. perfect
B. enough
C. insufficient
The mother tried to pacify her crying baby, as opposed to her 5 year old brother, who upset the baby when he took away her toy.
What does the word pacify mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. aggravate
B. calm
C. excite
Charlie signed up for piano lessons, soccer, debate team, and marching band. Every night he told his mom how exhausted he was. One night, his mom replied, "I think you bit off more than you can chew". Should we cancel a couple of your activities?".
What does "you bit off more than you can chew" mean in this sentence?
A. You love doing lots of activities.
B. You are chewing too loudly because you're tired.
C. You took on more than you can handle.
After losing his stake gambling at the casino, John didn't know how he would pay for his rent that month.
What does "losing his stake" mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. blowing on a fire to make it stronger
B. losing a job
C. losing or spending all of his money
Like his dad, Luke has bright red hair and loves to sing in the church choir. He also enjoys hiking and fishing like his dad. Everyone says he's a chip off the old block.
What does chip off the old block mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. a person who enjoys doing different things
B. a unique person
C. very similar to his father
He feigned, or pretended, that he was not feeling well so that he could leave the party early.
What does the word feigned mean as is it used in that sentence?
A. authentic
B. fake
C. guilty
Because I included enough pertinent details in my historical essay, I earned an "A" on the exam; whereas my best friend received a "D" because a lot of the information she wrote was unrelated.
What does the word pertinent mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. irrelevant
B. difficult
C. appropriate
Although the teacher had given the class one week to do the assignment, Evan waited until 20 minutes before class to complete it. As he finished and gave it to the teacher, he said to his friend, "Phew! I got that done by the skin of my teeth!".
What does, "by the skin of my teeth" mean in this sentence?
A. barely in enough time
B. with plenty of time to spare
C. before the rest of the class
After two hours spent wandering in the snow looking for my friend's ring, I realized we were on a wild goose chase.
What does "On a wild goose chase" mean in this sentence?
A. a search for the someone's pet goose
B. a search that results in finding something after looking for a long amount of time
C. a search that is a complete waste of time because person or things doesn't exist or is someplace else
Joey was very excited about his birthday party at the pool, but a few hours before the part, his mother received a phone call. When she got off the phone, she told Joey, "I'm sorry to rain on your parade but the pool had a water main break and we're going to have to have the party here at the house instead.
What does "rain on your parade" mean?
A. spoil your plans
B. cancel the party
C. tell you the forecast