Verbal: Synonyms (15 Questions)
Half the verbal section is one word and five near misses. Almost the same is the whole game — plus word parts and the three traps that decide it.
10 topics · 38 questions
Each topic is a path, not a menu: work down it in order and every question builds on the one above. Click any of them to watch the answer draw itself.
What a Synonym Question Really Asks
- How it worksHow do two words land inside one coloured meaning circle while a near miss drops just outside it?
- Worked exampleFind the best match for the word enormous out of huge, heavy, tall and loud.
- Going furtherWhat happens to the meaning circle when a word like brave pulls in three decent matches at once?
Your turneasy1 of 3
A truck was loaded with 72 heavy boxes and the pile on the back was ENORMOUS. Which word means most nearly the same as ENORMOUS?Thinking of Your Own Word First
- How it worksHow does your own word turn into a keyhole shape that only one answer can slide into?
- Worked exampleWalk me through matching the word gigantic by saying really big before reading a single choice.
- Worked exampleFind the match for chilly by thinking a bit cold first, then testing cool, freezing, wet and windy.
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't picking the longest, fanciest looking answer usually land on the right one?
Your turneasy1 of 3
At 12 degrees the morning air was CHILLY, and by night it had dropped to -3 degrees. Say your own meaning first. Which word means most nearly the same as CHILLY?Choosing Between Two Words That Both Almost Fit
- How it worksHow do you shrink your own meaning sentence until only one of the two leftover answers survives?
- Common mistakeWhy isn't the more exciting sounding choice the safer one when two answers are neck and neck?
- Worked exampleFind whether tired or sleepy sits closer to weary, and show the hair that splits them apart.
- Going furtherWhat changes when one answer is a much stronger version of the word, like furious beside annoyed?
Your turnmedium1 of 3
A towel left on the line for 7 hours still felt DAMP. Which word means most nearly the same as DAMP?Prefixes That Flip a Word
- How it worksHow does a prefix snap onto the front of a word and rewrite what the finished word means?
- Worked exampleShow me what re does when it clicks onto build, and what un does when it clicks onto tie.
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't every word that starts with the letters un have the un prefix stuck on the front?
- Worked exampleFind the meaning of dislike by pulling the front piece off and then snapping it back on.
- Going furtherWhat happens to a word you have never met when you spot pre or mis clipped onto its front?
Your turneasy1 of 3
The scout worked at 7 knots in the rope until she could UNTIE them. Which word means most nearly the same as UNTIE?Word Endings Like -ful and -less
- How it worksHow does an ending glued to the back of a word decide if it is full of something or has none?
- Worked exampleShow me hope turning into hopeful and then into hopeless, and what each new word means.
- Going furtherWhat does the ending er do when it turns the word teach into a whole person?
- Common mistakeWhy isn't the ending y on a word like rainy doing the same job as the ending less?
Your turneasy1 of 3
After 24 tries at the jigsaw, the last corner looked HOPELESS. Which word means most nearly the same as HOPELESS?Words That Mean Different Things in Different Sentences
- How it worksHow does a word sit on a dial that the rest of the sentence turns until one meaning is left?
- Worked exampleFind what trunk means when it belongs to an elephant, then to a tree, then to a car.
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't the meaning you know best always win on a synonym question?
Your turneasy1 of 3
The dog let out 9 sharp BARKS at the gate. Which word means most nearly the same as BARKS in this sentence?The Trap: A Word That Just Looks Similar
- How it worksHow do you catch a look-alike answer by saying both words slowly and right out loud?
- Common mistakeWhy isn't an answer that shares most of its letters with the question word ever a safe bet?
- Worked exampleShow me why desert is no match for dessert by drawing a picture for each one.
Your turneasy1 of 3
The library stayed QUIET for 31 whole minutes. Which word means most nearly the same as QUIET?The Trap: A Word That Means the Opposite
- How it worksHow does laying your own meaning sentence over an answer make an opposite collapse instantly?
- Common mistakeWhy isn't shallow a good match for deep even though the two words live in the same place?
- Worked exampleFind the match for ancient out of old, modern, dusty and stony, and point at the opposite.
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't a word that merely reminds you of the question word have to share its meaning?
Your turneasy1 of 3
The museum showed a clay pot that was 2300 years old and ANCIENT. Which word means most nearly the same as ANCIENT?The Trap: Right Subject, Wrong Meaning
- How it worksHow do you tell words that hang around one subject apart from words that share a meaning?
- Worked exampleFind the match for blossom out of flower, bloom, garden and green, and name the subject trap.
- Common mistakeWhy isn't doctor a match for hospital when those two words go together all the time?
- Going furtherWhat do two meaning circles look like when they touch at the edge but never overlap?
Your turneasy1 of 3
In spring the orchard's 16 cherry trees came into BLOSSOM. Which word means most nearly the same as BLOSSOM?AP®, SAT® and PSAT/NMSQT® are trademarks registered by the College Board (PSAT/NMSQT® jointly with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation). ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp. GRE® is a registered trademark of ETS. LSAT® is a registered trademark of the Law School Admission Council. MCAT® is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges. ISEE® and SSAT® are registered trademarks of their owners. None of these organizations is affiliated with, or endorses, Jentoo.