SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Identifying Synonyms

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Middle Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #101 : Identifying Synonyms

A synonym of “sabotage” is __________.

Possible Answers:

narrow

supplant

reconsider

renovate

wreck

Correct answer:

wreck

Explanation:

“Sabotage” is a word that can be used as a verb or a noun, but because all of the potential answer choices are verbs, we will need to consider it as a noun. When “sabotage” is used as a verb, it means “deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “deliberately destroy.” That means that “renovate” cannot be the correct answer, because “renovate” is a verb that means “restore (something old, especially a building) to a good state of repair,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “sabotage.” “Wreck,” however, is a word that when used as a verb, can mean “destroy or severely damage (a structure or vehicle),” and because “wreck” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “sabotage,” “wreck” is the correct answer.

Example Question #102 : Identifying Synonyms

A synonym of “assembly” is __________.

Possible Answers:

facet

individual

meeting

preparation

network

Correct answer:

meeting

Explanation:

“Assembly” is a noun that can mean “a group of people gathered together in one place for a common purpose,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “a group of people gathered together with a common goal.” That means that “individual” cannot be the correct answer, because “individual,” when used as a noun, means “a single human being as distinct from a group, class, or family,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “assembly.” “Meeting,” however, is a noun that means “an assembly of people, especially the members of a society or committee, for discussion or entertainment,” and because “meeting” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “assembly,” “meeting” is the correct answer.

Example Question #103 : Identifying Synonyms

A synonym of “finesse” is __________.

Possible Answers:

delirium

hierarchy

nemesis

ineptness

tact

Correct answer:

tact

Explanation:

“Finesse” is a word that can be used as a noun or a verb, but because all of the possible answer choices are nouns, we will need to consider “finesse” as a noun. When used as a noun, “finesse” means either “intricate and refined delicacy” or “artful subtlety, typically that needed for tactful handling of a difficulty.” So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “refined delicacy” or “artful subtlety.” That means that “ineptness” cannot be the correct answer, because “ineptness” means “the quality of having or showing no skill; clumsiness,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “finesse.” “Tact,” however, is a noun that means “adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues,” and because “tact” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “finesse,” “tact” is the correct answer.

Example Question #122 : Synonyms

Choose the best synonym for the word in capital letters.

CUSTOM

Possible Answers:

convention

craft

trick

correlation

race

Correct answer:

convention

Explanation:

custom is a tradition or convention.

Example Question #15 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

A synonym of “yearning” is __________.

Possible Answers:

conversation

desire

avoidance

luster

emotion

Correct answer:

desire

Explanation:

“Yearning” is a noun that means “a feeling of intense longing for something,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “intense longing.” That means that “avoidance” cannot be the correct answer, because “avoidance” means “the act of keeping away from or stopping oneself,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “yearning.” “Desire,” however, is a noun that can mean “a strong feeling of wishing for something to happen,” and because “desire” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “yearning,” “desire” is the correct answer.

Example Question #124 : Synonyms

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Hiatus

Possible Answers:

Intellect

Beggar

Surrender

Enrollment

Break

Correct answer:

Break

Explanation:

"Hiatus" means a break or interruption.

Example Question #125 : Synonyms

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Brevity

Possible Answers:

Consistency

Selection

Shortness

Duct

Preparation

Correct answer:

Shortness

Explanation:

"Brevity" means a shortness of time or duration. It also means expressing a lot in few words.

Example Question #126 : Synonyms

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Correlation

Possible Answers:

Propulsion

Caution

Relationship

Recognition 

Influence

Correct answer:

Relationship

Explanation:

A "correlation" is a relationship between two or more things.

Example Question #127 : Synonyms

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Peril

Possible Answers:

Danger

Introversion

Vertex

Principal

Narrative

Correct answer:

Danger

Explanation:

"Peril" means danger.

Example Question #104 : Identifying Synonyms

A synonym of “quibble” is __________.

Possible Answers:

compliment

bubble

complaint

emotion

energy

Correct answer:

complaint

Explanation:

“Quibble” is a word that can be used as a noun or a verb, but because all of the answer choices can be used as nouns, we will need to consider “quibble” as a noun. When used as a noun, “quibble” means “a slight objection or criticism,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “a slight objection.” That means that “compliment” cannot be the correct answer, because “compliment,” when used as a noun, means “a polite expression of praise or admiration,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “quibble.” “Complaint,” however, is a noun that means “a statement that a situation is unsatisfactory,” and because “complaint” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “quibble,” “complaint” is the correct answer.

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