Synonyms: Verbs About Physical Changes, Movement, or Location

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ISEE Middle Level Verbal Reasoning › Synonyms: Verbs About Physical Changes, Movement, or Location

Questions 1 - 10
1

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

INTERCEPT

Stop

Advance

Continue

Relax

Calm

Explanation

To "intercept” something or someone means to stop or get in the way of that person or thing. “Advance” means move forward; “continue” means keep going; “relax” means calm down and reduce one's level of stress; and "calm," when used as a verb, means cause to feel relaxed and serene.

2

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

MEANDER

Wander

Confuse

Procrastinate

Muse

Meek

Explanation

To "meander" means to wander in a winding, indirect way. Therefore, "wander" has the closest meaning to "meander" of the words provided.

3

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.

SHIRK

Avoid

Shirt

Warm

Demolish

Explanation

The word "shirk" means avoid. The best choice is "avoid," as it is a part of the definition of "shirk."

4

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

RAZE

Destroy

Coddle

Lift

Amplify

Forget

Explanation

Do not quickly misread this question. The word "raze" is not the same as "raise." The options try to trick you into choosing "lift" or "amplify". When someone "raises" his or her hand, he or she lifts it. Likewise, amplification is the making of something louder—that is, "raising the volume." However, "raze" means to utterly destroy, as when a city is "razed" by an army. Thus, the best option is "destroy."

5

Synonyms: Select the word or phrase that best matches the word in capital letters.

ATROPHY

Weaken

Strengthen

Enlarge

Authenticate

Disparage

Explanation

To “atrophy” means to get weaker, to weaken. It is usually used in English to refer to the atrophy of muscles, which is the condition of your muscles getting weaker when you do not use them. To provide further guidance, "atrophy" is an antonym of "strengthen;" "enlarge" means make bigger; "disparage" means make fun of; "authenticate" means to confirm something is real or not forged.

6

A synonym of "fortify" is __________.

toughen

weaken

annoy

handle

respond

Explanation

"Fortify" is a verb that can mean "strengthen (a place) with defensive works so as to protect it against attack" or "strengthen or invigorate (someone) mentally or physically," or "strengthen (a drink) with alcohol." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "strengthen." "Weaken," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "weaken" is an antonym of "strengthen." "Toughen," however, is a verb which means "make or become tougher," and because "toughen" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "fortify," "toughen" is the correct answer.

7

Synonyms: Select the one word or phrase that best whose meaning is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

SCROUNGE

Seek

Deter

Determine

Falsify

Threaten

Explanation

To "scrounge" for something such as food is to actively look for it or "seek" it. This is different from the other word choices that mean the following: to "threaten" is to endanger; to "deter" is to discourage; and to "falsify" is to lie.

8

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

RECUPERATE

Recover

Uncover

Discover

Touch

Hold

Explanation

To "recuperate" means to rest and recover from something like an illness. To provide further help, "uncover" means reveal, show; "discover" means find.

9

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

PURGE

Remove

Inhabit

Protect

Decline

Fail

Explanation

"Purge" derives from the same Latin root as "pure" (having no blemishes or unadulterated), so it's not surprising that it means remove something in order to benefit or cleanse the whole. "Remove" is thus the closest listed synonym. To “inhabit” a place or building to live in it; “decline” means decrease or reject in a polite way; “protect” means look after or stop from being hurt or damaged; and "fail" means unsuccessfully attempt to accomplish or achieve something.

10

Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.

CRINGE

Recoil

Deplore

Extradite

Migrate

Banish

Explanation

To "cringe" means to recoil, to turn away from or back away from in fear or disgust or embarrassment. To provide further help, "migrate" means move from one place to another; "extradite" means deport, allow someone to be taken out of a country so that they can be tried for crimes committed in another country; "banish" means send someone away as punishment and not allow them to return; deplore" means hate, loathe.

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