Synonyms: Verbs - SSAT Upper Level Verbal

"Infuriate" means to make someone or something angry, so "anger," a word that when used as a verb means to enrage or to cause to be angry, is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "infuriate" or "anger": "flood" means inundate with; "fracture" means to break or to crack; "brawl" means to fight; and "sling" means to throw.

"Agonize" means to worry greatly about something and is ofted used in the phrase "to agonize over" something. So, "worry" is the correct answer. "Perpetrate" means to commit or carry out a crime. "Laud" means to applaud or to praise. "Depict" means to show or demonstrate. "Gargle" means to clean or wash one's throat or mouth with a liquid substance.

"Assuage" means to "relieve" or to ease. "Amass" means to gather or to collect. "Atone" means to apologize or make amends for. "Enervate" means to weaken or to cause to lose energy. "Narrate" means to tell a story.

"Loathe" means to detest or to hate. "Congratulate" means to celebrate or honor a person for his achievements or success. "Exceed" means to go over the limit or some measure. "Tolerate" means to allow or to accept. "Abbreviate" means to shorten or reduce.

"Lament" means to mourn or to express sorrow or grief. "Revolve" means to orbit or to circle. "Prod" means to poke. "Extinguish" means to put out something, usually a fire. "Endorse" means to support or approve.

"Detest" means to hate or strongly dislike. "Expose" means to disclose or reveal something unknown or hidden. "Speed up" means to travel or move faster. "Alter" means to modify or to change. "Neutralize" means to offset or make ineffective.

"Deplore" means "abhor," or to strongly hate or detest. "Demote" means to downgrade or move downwards in position. "Wreck" means to ruin or destroy. "Inundate" means to flood or overwhelm. "Shrink" means to make smaller.

"Placate"means to soothe or remove anxiety. (Example: "The mailman tried to placate the angry dog by offering him dog treats.") Thus, the verb "calm"is close in meaning and is therefore the best synonym.

"Unnerve" and "stress" are closest in meaning. These synonyms describe the action of causing something frustration and uneasiness. The other words do not share this meaning. "Consume" means to eat, digest, or exhaust. To "reveal" something is to bring something to light. To "relinquish" something is to give that thing up. To "trudge" is to walk heavily.

The verb "rouse" means to cause excitement, to inspire and motivate. Additionally, "incense" means to anger, to make furious; "deign" means condescend, to allow oneself to talk to people one views as inferior; "confiscate" means seize, take from; "parry" means (of something thrown at one) to deflect, to cause to move in another direction.

The verb "flustered" means unsettled, made nervous by something. Additionally, "composed" means calm and under control; "poised" means showing calm and composure in a stressful situation; "supreme" means best, superior, greatest; "recondite" means (of knowledge) obscure and arcane, known by only a few.

This is a little tough because the word "entrance" can be a noun that means a way into something. But "entrance" also means to put into a trance or to charm.

I was entranced by the beautiful music coming from the tower.

There is no answer choice that could serve as a synonym of the noun form of entrance, so it must be the verb form, and the word "captivate," meaning to hold or capture the interest of, is a synonym.

"Mollify" means to soften or make less intense in feeling or temper.

I hope that giving the family an upgrade to first class will mollify them after the airline lost their luggage.

So to "lessen" is the best choice.

Something that "festers" is something that rots or decays, e.g. "a festering sore."

Since "kindle" means light or set on fire or inspire, we're looking for a verb that means set on fire or inspire. Of the three answer choices that are verbs ("equivocate," "undertake," and "ignite"), "ignite" is the closest synonym to "kindle" as "ignite" means catch fire or cause to catch on fire, so "ignite" is the correct answer.

"Garner" is a verb that means "gather or collect something, especially. information or approval," so we need to pick out another word that means something like "collect." While "swindle" may look like a potentially correct answer because "swindle" means "to take money or property from someone by using lies or tricks," "amass" is actually a closer synonym to "garner," as "amass" means "to gather or collect something, such as a large amount of money, especially for yourself." So, because "amass" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "garner," "amass" is the correct answer.

"Propel" is a verb that means "to push or drive someone or something forward or in a particular direction," so we need to pick out a word that means something like "push." While "propeller" might sound like a good answer because it contains the word "propel," "propeller" is a noun, not a verb, so it can't be the correct answer. "Shove," which means "to push someone or something with force," is the answer choice closest in meaning to "propel," so "shove" is the correct answer.

"Whet" is a verb which means "to sharpen the blade of a tool or weapon," or "to excite or stimulate someone's desire, interest, or appetite." So, we need to pick out another verb that means something like "sharpen." While "whet" sounds like "wet," and "dampen" is synonymous with "wet" when "wet" is used as a verb, "whet" has a very different meaning than "wet," so "dampen" cannot be the correct answer. "Hone," however, is a verb that means "to sharpen with a whetstone" or "to make sharper or more focused or efficient." Since "hone" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "whet," "hone" is the correct answer.

While "follow" might seem like a good answer because to "tail" someone is to follow them, "curtail" does not mean the same thing as "tail," so "follow" is not the correct answer. Similarly, while "curmudgeon" and "curtail" both begin with "cur-," curmudgeon is a noun and curtail is a verb, so they cannot be synonyms. Since "curtail" means "reduce in extent or quantity; impose a restriction on," "reduce" is its closest synonym and the correct answer.

"Tarnish" and "sully" are both words that mean make something dirtier or less valuable.