Context Clues

No word must ever leak out about this military action! It has to be a clandestine operation in order to succeed.

Which word is a synonym of "clandestine"?

Put this medicine on your arm and rub it into your skin until it's invisible. It will inhibit the infection's attempt to

spread.

What does “inhibit” mean?

Fortunately, the dizzy spell was transient. He was able to continue playing within seconds and had no trouble

winning the match.

When you describe an event as “transient,” you are saying that __________.

Brea and Elizabeth are having a dispute over which radio station to play at work. It would be so much simpler if they both liked the same kind of music.

A dispute is a __________.

When they heard the good news about the court’s decision, the angry crowd cheered and then began to disperse.

“It looks like everyone is going home,” one reporter stated.

Which would be the antonym of “disperse”?

It’s a wonder to me how anyone can still be undecided about this election. These two candidates are certainly

distinct. Each would lead our nation in opposite directions.

What does “distinct” mean?

Mr. Huge was very proud of his auto superstore. “We have such an extensive selection of cars,” he said, “so

everyone should find a vehicle that he or she will love!”

The word “extensive” means __________.

The news story was based on a letter that was a fabrication. Now the reporter who wrote the story is in big trouble.

Will anyone believe him again?

A fabrication is __________.

The reporter insisted that the letter he used was authentic. He said that he had shown it to many experts before he used it in his story.

When something is authentic, it’s __________.

Sunshine said, “Amber, why are you making such a big deal about Robert’s hair? Yes, he did dye it purple. It is rather unusual for a guy to have purple hair. On the other hand, it’s not exactly going to change the course of world history. It’s really quite a trivial matter.”

What does “trivial” mean?