All GRE Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #591 : One Blank Texts
The young boy __________ on his way home, as he did not want to face his parents.
hustled
sprinted
dallied
hastened
sullied
dallied
The sentence notes the "young boy" "did not want to face his parents." The correct answer needs to reflect his unwillingness to see his parents. "Dallied," meaning wasted time or hesitated, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #592 : One Blank Texts
Her answers rarely __________ with the facts of the case, increasing the police's suspicion.
sated
disputed
jibed
doted
stinted
jibed
The subjects's statements are "increasing the police's suspension," meaning their relationship with the facts are not straightforward. The correct answer will indicate that the answers are not directly aligned with the facts. "Jibed," meaning lined up or matched, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #593 : One Blank Texts
In front of the committee, the witness __________ and made no one believe his statements.
abraded
dissembled
levied
staunted
declaimed
dissembled
The testimony "made no one believe his statements," which means his comments were suspicious. The correct answer needs to show he was somehow untrustworthy or strange. "Dissemble," meaning to put on an act or avoid the truth, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #594 : One Blank Texts
His arrogant tone made it clear he did not __________ to answer the question outright.
gall
lien
abut
gouge
deign
deign
The man's "arrogant tone" is the best clue to finding the missing word. Since he "would not answer the question outright," the correct answer has to show a level the appropriate level of condescension. "Deign," meaning to do something considered beneath one's dignity, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #595 : One Blank Texts
The discontent in the legislature was quickly __________ when an amendment that many approved of was added on to the bill.
exacerbated
quelled
precipitate
fomented
enlivened
quelled
The sentence notes the "amendment that many approved of" did the missing word to the "discontent." This means the amendment helped get rid of the discontent, and the correct answer should show this. "Quelled," meaning suppressed or stopped, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #596 : One Blank Texts
The neighborhood's lots were so small that the houses had to __________ each other.
abut
leaven
purchase
mitigate
patronize
abut
The only real clue in the sentence is that the "neighborhood's lots were so small." The correct answer will therefore have to indicate a closeness or lack of space. "Abut," meaning to come up on or touch, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #597 : One Blank Texts
The girl was __________ in Greek mythology, and could recite the tales for the rest of her life.
indicted
steeped
inadequate
morose
supplicant
steeped
The sentence explains that the girl "could recite the tales for the rest of her life." This indicates that she knew them quite well, a fact which must be reflected in the correct answer. "Steeped," meaning to soak in or bathe, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #598 : One Blank Texts
The explosives were __________ into the hole by a mound of dirt, and were not visible until they were stepped on.
tamped
displaced
tarnished
rambled
enjoined
tamped
The sentence describes the explosives as "not visible until they were stepped on." The correct answer must mean placed in or hidden. "Tamped," meaning packed tightly or plugged up, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #599 : One Blank Texts
The war was disastrous, and ended up __________ the populations on both sides.
waffling
divesting
exculpating
extirpating
decimating
decimating
The sentence points out that "the war was disastrous," which indicates the results were quite bad for both sides. The correct answer not only needs to be negative, but strongly so. "Decimating," literally destroying one tenth, but frequently meaning to destroy a large part, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #600 : One Blank Texts
The torture methods included __________ pieces of skin out of the victim.
exculpating
disarming
patronizing
gouging
adorning
gouging
The sentence helps modify the missing word by noting "pieces of skin" were "out of the victims." This indicates the correct answer has to mean the skin was pulled out. "Gouging," meaning cutting or digging, is the best choice among the answers.