All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #921 : Synonyms
Synonyms
Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
FORAGE
scavenge
emerge
deflect
leap
abide
scavenge
Forage means to scavenge.
Example Question #1 : Synonyms: Verbs About Physical Changes, Movement, Or Location
A synonym of "fumble" is __________.
wander around
search blindly
look quickly
walk gracefully
talk aimlessly
search blindly
One meaning of "fumble" is "to search for something by reaching or touching with your fingers in an awkward or clumsy way," we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "search for." While both "search blindly" and "look quickly" could mean "search for," "search blindly" is the better answer because "blindly" conveys the "awkward or clumsy way" of searching that "fumble" conveys.
Example Question #2 : Synonyms: Verbs About Physical Changes, Movement, Or Location
A synonym of "mar" is __________.
spoil
complement
jar
whet
provide
spoil
"Mar" is a verb that means "to ruin the beauty or perfection of something" or "to hurt or damage the good condition of something," so we need to pick out a word that means something like "to ruin" or "to damage." Since one meaning of "spoil" is "to have a bad effect on something" or "to damage or ruin something," "spoil" is closest in meaning to "mar" of the given answer choices, so it is the correct answer.
Example Question #3 : Synonyms: Verbs About Physical Changes, Movement, Or Location
A synonym of "encroach" is __________.
glower
pacify
utter
trespass
enroll
trespass
"Encroach" is a verb that means "intrude on a person's territory or a thing considered to be a right," we need to pick out another verb that means "intrude on." While "enroll" sounds like "encroach," "enroll" means "officially register as a member of an institution or a student on a course"; since it does not mean the same thing as "encroach," it can't be the right answer. "Trespass," however, means "enter the owner's land or property without permission" or "commit an offense against (a person or a set of rules)." Since the first meaning of "trespass" is similar to the meaning of "encroach," "trespass" is the correct answer.
Example Question #4 : Synonyms: Verbs About Physical Changes, Movement, Or Location
A synonym of "amble" is __________.
dash
scamper
run
saunter
embark
saunter
"Amble" is a word that means "walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace," so we need to pick out another word that means "walk," and more specifically, "walk at a relaxed pace." While "scamper," "run," and "dash" all refer to movement, they refer to quick movement, not a form of movement that is "at a slow, relaxed pace." Only "saunter," which means "to walk about in an idle or leisurely manner," means "to walk" and includes the connotation of the movement being relaxed and "leisurely." Because of this, "saunter" is closest in meaning to "amble" of the given answer choices, so "saunter" is the correct answer.
Example Question #5 : Synonyms: Verbs About Physical Changes, Movement, Or Location
A synonym of "wilt" is . . .
limp
frugal
droop
pester
resplendent
droop
"Wilt" is a verb that refers to plants and means "become limp through heat, loss of water, or disease." So, we need to pick out another verb that means something like "become limp." While "droop" and "limp" might both look like potentially correct answers, "limp" cannot be the correct answer because while "wilt" means "to become limp," "limp" as a verb does not mean "become limp" - it means "walk with difficulty, typically because of a damaged or stiff leg or foot." So, "limp" cannot be the correct answer. "Droop," however, means "bend or hang downward limply," so "droop" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "wilt."
Example Question #8 : Synonyms: Verbs About Physical Changes, Movement, Or Location
Synonyms
Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
ABRIDGE
dam
censor
shorten
breach
cross
shorten
"Abridge" means to shorten, as in a text.
Example Question #131 : Synonyms: Verbs
Synonyms
Select the one word or phrase whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
CAVORT
steal
extort
frolic
poison
emptiness
frolic
"Cavort" means to frolic, to prance.
Example Question #132 : Synonyms: Verbs
A synonym of "saturate" is __________.
condense
invent
drench
stabilize
calm
drench
"Saturate" is a verb that means "cause something to become thoroughly soaked with liquid so that no more can be absorbed," so we need to pick out a verb that means something like "soak." While "condense" might look like a good answer choice because it is a verb that has to do with water, "condense" actually means "make something denser or more concentrated" or "change or cause to change from a gas or vapor to a liquid." Since "condense" is not synonymous with "saturate," it can't be the correct answer. "Drench," however, means "wet thoroughly; soak," and because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "saturate," "drench" is the correct answer.
Example Question #133 : Synonyms: Verbs
A synonym of "splice" is __________.
cut
interweave
deploy
near
jump
interweave
"Splice" is a verb that can mean "join or connect (a rope or ropes) by interweaving the strands," " join (pieces of timber, film, or tape) at the end," or in genetics, "join or insert (a gene or gene fragment)." So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "join." "Cut," then, cannot be the correct answer because "cut" is an antonym of "splice." "Interweave," however, is a verb that means either "weave or become woven together" or "blend closely," and because "interweave" is the answer choice that is closest in meaning to "splice," "interweave" is the correct answer.
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