SSAT Middle Level Verbal › Synonyms: Distinguishing Between Multiple Definitions
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PALLETE
Taste
Inscribe
Scribble
Pen
Author
The word "pallete" can be used in statements about people's sense of taste. The other words may be slightly related to the word pallete, but the meanings in this sense would not be close enough to call them synonymous.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
VOLATILE
Erratic
Loathsome
Terrifying
Memorable
Static
"Volatile" is an adjective with two meanings. Here, "volatile" means erratic or liable to change unpredictably. The second definition of "volatile" is scientific, and means evaporates at room temperature.
"Static" means not moving or changing. "Memorable" means able to be remembered. "Terrifying" means _causes extreme fear. "_Loathsome" means hateful or repulsive.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
ASSESS
Charge
Cancel
Fix
Bring
Find
The verb "assess" usually means to evaluate, to judge the nature of something, to decide what one thinks of something. However, it also has a second common meaning which is to charge. So, to be "assessed repairs" is to be charged for repairs.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
SEETHE
Simmer
Anger
Repudiate
Dispatch
Inhabit
"Seethe" is a verb that when used of liquids, means "bubble up as a result of being boiled," and when used of people, "be filled with intense but unexpressed anger." Since none of the answer choices appear to mean "bubble up" or "boil," we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "be filled with unexpressed anger." "Anger" might look like the best answer choice, but as a verb, it means "make angry"; since its meaning isn't that close to "seethe," it can't be the correct answer. "Simmer," a verb which can mean "be in a state of suppressed anger or excitement," is the best answer choice and the correct answer because it is closest in meaning to "seethe."
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
PRESS
Media
Conspiracy
Criminal
Freedom
Politician
The "press" and the "media" can both refer to journalists as a group. The other nouns do not have directly related meanings and are not synonymous with "press," but are topics often covered by the "press."
Synonyms: Select the word whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
CHOKE
Bungle
Succeed
Promise
Elevate
Desolate
The primary meaning of “choke” is gag or strangle someone, but since none of the answer choices are close in meaning to this definition, you can assume you are searching for a secondary meaning of the word. If you “choke,” then you lose your composure and fail to perform effectively in a critical situation,so you could say, "He had a chance to win the game but he choked."Thus, "choke" used in this way is most similar in meaning to "bungle,"which means mess something up.As for the other answer choices,"elevate" means rise up or place at a higher position; and "desolate" means empty, barren, or devoid of life.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
POLICE
Oversee
Imprison
Punish
Lie
Cheat
The verbs "police"—yes, the word "police" can be used as a verb too—and "oversee" are synonymous. The other words ("imprison," "punish," "lie," etc.) might have indirectly related meanings, but they are not synonymous with "police" when used as a verb.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
FANCY
Liking
Esteem
Coincidence
Multitude
Phantom
"Fancy" can be an adjective meaning elaborate and decorative. "Fancy" can also be a noun meaning taste or inclination. With this second definition in mind, liking is a synonym and therefore the correct answer.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
BLEMISH
Ruin
Purify
Hurt
Cleanse
Clean
"Blemish," means to spoil the appearance of (something). The term ruin is a synonym of "blemish," making it the correct answer. "Purify" means to remove contaminants from. The word "hurt" means to cause physical harm or injury. The terms "cleanse" and "clean" are defined similarly; to make (something) thoroughly clean/free from dirt.
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
BALE
Bundle
Throw
Indifferent
Wet
Suitcase
Spelled this way, "bale" is a noun meaning a bundle prepared for transportation or storage. It is often associated with hay or cotton. For instance, "The groom spread another bale of hay over the floor of the horse's stall." Spelled "bail," this word is a verb with multiple meanings.