Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ACQUAINTANCE

DEFINITION:
A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
When photographer Peter Turnley was just 20 years old, an acquaintance from the California Office of Economic Opportunity reached out to him with a question.
The Los Angeles Times, 12/01/2025

Generate your own quiz
Select a grade level
 Elementary
 Middle School
 High School
Select a quiz type
 By words
 By Definitions
Select how many questions
5   10   15   20  

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. Quarantine

Enforced isolation or restriction of free movement imposed to prevent the spread of contagious disease.

Inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder

A metric unit of length equal to 1,000 meters (0.62 mile).

Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative


2. Bamboozle

To take in by elaborate methods of deceit

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

A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.

A treeless area between the icecap and the tree line of Arctic regions, having a permanently frozen subsoil and supporting low-growing vegetation


3. Bizarre

Strikingly unconventional and far-fetched in style or appearance; odd

Harmful, malevolent, injurious. Harmfully cancerous.

The branch of biology that deals with animals and animal life, including the study of the structure, physiology, development, and classification of animals.

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


4. Vertebrate

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

Exceeding the limits of propriety or good manners; improperly forward or bold

Having a backbone or spinal column.

A person with masterly skill or technique in the arts.


5. Divulge

To proclaim publicly

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

In a deplorable state of distress or misfortune; miserable.

To grow well or luxuriantly; thrive


Get more Quizzes 

 Elementary School    Middle School   High School  

 By Word     By Definition    5  10  15  20 Questions

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.