Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

PLOY

DEFINITION:
A cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
“First of all, I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” said the 44th president, conceding that it does serve as an effective distraction and ploy for attention.
►The Boston Herald, 02/16/2026

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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. Gargoyle

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

► To stress or emphasize; intensify

► A grotesque ornamental figure or projection.

► A closed plane figure bounded by three or more line segments.

2. Sacrifice

► Appropriateness of behavior or conduct

► The drawing of a conclusion by reasoning; the act of deducing.

► Forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim.

► The pattern produced on a photosensitive medium that has been exposed by holography and then photographically developed.

3. Omnivore

► One that takes in everything available, as with the mind.

► Of, relating to, or occurring in the night

► A state of uncertainty or perplexity.

► To condescend to give or grant

4. Metaphor

► One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.

► To rejoice greatly; be jubilant or triumphant

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

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

5. Inference

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

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

► A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy.

► The act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.

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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.