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82 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
bolster
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to support; to prop up; reinforce
IS NOT: undermine; weaken |
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bolster
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The debaters amassed file boxes of evidence to _____ their arguments.
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bolstered
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The presence of giant footprints _____ the argument that Sasquatch was in the area.
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bombastic
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pompous in speech and manner; pretentious and long-winded; using inflated language but with little meaning
IS NOT: simple and straightforward; unpretentious |
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bombastic
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Puffed up with self-importance, the ______ lecturer attempted to impress the audience with his polysyllabic vocabulary.
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bombastic
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The ranting of the radio talk-show host was mostly _____, his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact.
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catalyst
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something or someone that brings about a change in something else; substance that initiates or speeds up a chemical reaction without itself being affected
IS NOT: inhibitor, anti-catalyst |
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catalyst
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In 1969, the IRA split into two factions: the "officials," who advocated a unified Ireland but disavowed terrorist activities, and the "provisionals," who argued that terrorism was a necessary _____ to bring about unification.
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catalyst
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The imposition of harsh taxes was the _____ that finally brought on the revolution.
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cacophony
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harsh, jarring noise; discordant; unpleasant-sounding; grating; strident
IS NOT: euphonious; mellifluous; pleasant-sounding; harmonious |
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cacophonous
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Sharon shuddered to hear the _____ sounds made by the junior high school orchestra class as they struggled to get in tune.
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chicanery
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the use of trickery to achieve political, financial or legal purpose; deception by means of craft or guile;trickery or deceive someone; deception; fraud; evasion
IS NOT: aboveboard behavior; honesty |
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chicanery
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Lincoln was called "Honest Abe" in recognition of his integrity; Nixon was called "Tricky Dick" in recognition of his ________.
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chicanery
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Dishonest used car sales people often use ________ to sell their beat-up old cars.
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cogent
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convincing and well reasoned; well-argued; powerfully persuasive
IS NOT: unpersuasive; poorly reasoned; unsound |
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cogent
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Clear and persuasive, Stevenson was a writer of originality and power, whose essays at their best are _______ and perceptive renderings of aspects of the human condition.
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cogent
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Swayed by the _______ arguments of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.
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convoluted
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intricate and complicated; highly complex, even devious; involved; coiled around
IS NOT: straightforward; uncomplicated |
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convoluted
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His argument was so _______ that few of us could follow its twists and turns.
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convoluted
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Although many people bought "A Brief History of Time", few could follow its _________ ideas and theories.
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desiccate
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to dry out thoroughly; dry up; preserve by removing moisture; dehydrate
IS NOT: moisten; hydrate; drench |
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desiccate
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The long drought _______ the marshlands, leaving the once moist soil parched and dry.
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desiccate
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After a few weeks of lying on the desert's baking sands, the cow's carcass became completely _________.
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disabuse
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to free from error; to set right; undeceive
IS NOT: mislead; deceive; hoodwink; dupe |
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disabuse
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Galileo's observations _________ scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth.
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disabuse
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On her return from Turkey, Lady Mary Montagu did her best to _______ English minds of their prejudiced notions of Turkish cruelty, luxury, and sensuality.
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desultory
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jumping from one thing to another; disconnected; aimless; haphazard; unfocused; disappointing in performance
IS NOT: methodical; deliberate; assiduous |
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desultory
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In prison Malcom X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary; to him, reading was purposeful, not _________.
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desultory
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Diane had a ______ academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years.
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diatribe
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an abusive, condemnatory speech; bitter, accusing criticism; tirade; sharp verbal attack; harangue
IS NOT: praise, encomium |
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diatribe
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Infuriated by what he considered unfair attacks in the press, the candidate delivered a lengthy ________ against biased reporting.
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diatribe
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The trucker bellowed a _________ at the driver who had cut him off.
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dirge
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a funeral hymn or mournful speech; lament (usually musical); funeral song or tune
IS NOT: paean (joyful song of praise) |
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dirge
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Walt Whitman's "Drum-Taps", published in 1865, included a moving _______ commemorating the death of the martyred Abraham Lincoln.
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dirge
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Melville wrote a poem "A _____ for James McPherson" for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864.
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dissemble
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to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character; feign; dissimulate
IS NOT: behave honestly; be sincere |
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dissemble
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The villain could _______ to the police no longer-he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man.
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dissemble
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Bond realized that the only way he could fool his captors was to ________, to pretend he was still unconscious.
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monotony
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lack of variation; tedious repitition
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monotony
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The _______ of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy.
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monotony
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The brief storm was a relief from the ___________ of the hot summer afternoon.
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mitigate
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to soften; to lessen; to cause to become less harsh
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mitigate
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A judge may ________ a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need.
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mitigate
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Emergency funds are being provide to help _______ the effects of the disaster.
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opprobrium
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something that brings public disgrace
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opprobrium
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After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter ____________.
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opprobrium
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They are going ahead with the plan despite public __________.
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loquacious
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talkative
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loquacious
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She was naturally ___________ which was a problem in situations in which listening was more important than talking.
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loquacious
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Though our daughter barely says a word to us these days, put a cell phone in her hand and you'll see how _______ she can be!
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naive
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lacking experience, wisdom or judgement
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naive
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Having never traveled before, the elementary school students were more _______ than their high school counterparts on the field trip.
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misanthrope
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a person who hates or distrusts people
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misanthrope
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The character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is such a _________ that even the sight of children singing makes him angry.
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laud
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to give praise; to glorify
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laud
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Parades and fireworks were staged to ______ the success of the rebels.
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laud
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He was an actor in his lifetime received all the _______ and honor that the theater world could bestow.
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venerate
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to respect deeply; reverence; awe
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venerate
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In a traditional Confucian society, the young ___________ their elders, deferring tot he elders' wisdom and experience.
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venerate
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In Tibet today, the common people still retain their _________ for their traditional spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
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taciturn
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silent; not talkative
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taciturn
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The clerk's _______ nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob."
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erratic
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wandering and unpredictable
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erratic
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The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of _________ turns that surprised the audience.
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fanatical
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acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
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fanatical
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The stormtroopers were _________ in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him.
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fervid
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intensely emotional; feverish
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fervid
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The fans of Maria Callas were unusually _________, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.
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guile
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deceit or trickery
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guile
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Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to ______ in an effort to trap his enemy.
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paradox
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a contradiction or dilemma
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paradox
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It is a _________ that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it.
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vex
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to annoy
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vexed
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The old man who loved his peace and quiet was _______ by his neighbors loud music.
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zeal
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passion; excitement
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zeal
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She brought her typical _____ to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members.
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transitory
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temporary, lasting a brief time
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transitory
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The reporter lived a ________ life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story.
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vacillate
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to sway physically; to be indecisive
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vacillated
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The customer held up the line as he ________ between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road ice cream.
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verbose
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wordy
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verbose
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The professor's answer was so _________ that his student forgot what the original question had been.
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