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. Introspection

► To cringe in fear

► A diffuse mass of interstellar dust or gas or both, visible as luminous patches or areas of darkness

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

► Self-examination.

2. Ozone

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

► A teacher and guide in spiritual and philosophical matters.

► The science and art of using all the forces of a nation to execute approved plans as effectively as possible during peace or war.

► An unstable, poisonous allotrope of oxygen.

3. Quarantine

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

► Having a backbone or spinal column.

► A rebirth or revival.

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

4. Mutation

► A rebirth or revival.

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

► A disorderly commotion or disturbance.

► An alteration or change, as in nature, form, or quality.

5. Repose

► The locus of points for which the sum of the distances from each point to two fixed points is equal

► The quality or state of being tranquil; serenity.

► The act of resting or the state of being at rest.

► Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise.

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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.