Here the goal is to apply the read, paraphrase, reject, compare, commit loop at a steady pace. The test holds 32 original ASVAB-style Word Knowledge items, including multiple-meaning words, contrast clues and close final-two decisions where intensity or tone settles the answer.
Correct answer: skilled. Predict a plain meaning before reading the choices: an adept person is good at a task. Skilled matches that sense, while clumsy is an opposite, adapted is a look-alike spelling, and eager names a feeling rather than ability.
A (correct): Adept describes someone who does a task with real ability, so skilled is the direct equivalent.
B: This is the opposite sense; an adept person handles a task smoothly, not awkwardly.
C: This only shares letters with adept; adapted means changed to fit, not good at something.
D: Eagerness is about wanting to do something, which says nothing about ability.
Question 2 of 32 · easy
Which phrase is closest in meaning to SCARCE?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: in short supply. Scarce means there is not enough of something to meet the need. A multiword paraphrase such as in short supply is a legitimate answer when it reproduces the meaning, and tiny in size wrongly swaps amount for size.
A: This confuses scarce with scared, a word that only sounds similar.
B: Scarce concerns amount available, not the physical size of each item.
C (correct): Scarce describes something hard to find because there is not enough of it, which this phrase restates.
D: This is the opposite of scarce, which means there is too little.
Question 3 of 32 · easy
The hikers were WARY of the loose rocks along the edge of the trail.
WARY most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: cautious. Put each choice into the sentence. The hikers were cautious about the loose rocks reads naturally and keeps the tone, while terrified exaggerates the emotion and tired comes from the look-alike word weary.
A (correct): Substituting cautious keeps the meaning: the hikers were careful about the loose rocks.
B: This mixes up wary with weary, a different word that means tired.
C: This overstates the feeling; wary means watchful and careful, not overwhelmed by fear.
D: This is the opposite of being on guard against a danger.
Question 4 of 32 · easy
LUCID most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: clear. A lucid explanation or statement is easy to follow, so lucid means clear. Lucky is a near-spelling trap and confusing is an antonym.
A: This is the opposite of lucid, a common polarity slip.
B (correct): Lucid describes something easy to understand, so clear is the matching sense.
C: Loudness concerns volume, which has nothing to do with being easy to understand.
D: This only begins with the same letters; lucky has to do with good fortune.
Question 5 of 32 · easy
The patrol plane flew for hours over a VAST stretch of open ocean.
VAST most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: immense. Vast signals a very large extent, so immense matches both the meaning and the degree. Calm describes a condition of the ocean rather than its size, and minor reverses the intensity.
A: Peaceful describes the state of the water, not how much of it there is.
B: This rhymes with vast but refers to speed, not size.
C (correct): Vast describes something extremely large in extent, which immense also expresses.
D: This reverses the degree; vast describes great size, not small importance.
Question 6 of 32 · easy
The squad set a BRISK pace on the morning march and reached the checkpoint ten minutes early.
BRISK most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: quick. Brisk means quick and lively, as in a brisk walk. The result clue (reaching the checkpoint early) confirms speed; the chilly-air sense of brisk does not fit a pace.
A: Brisk can describe chilly air, but a pace cannot be cold; that sense does not fit here.
B (correct): Brisk means fast and energetic, which fits a pace that got the squad there early.
C: A steady pace is even, not necessarily fast; it misses the speed that brisk names.
D: Moving fast does not mean moving carelessly; the squad arrived on schedule.
Question 7 of 32 · easy
The FRAGRANT lilacs by the barracks door could be smelled from halfway across the parade field.
FRAGRANT most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: sweet-smelling. Fragrant means having a pleasant smell. The clue could be smelled confirms it; fragile and flagrant are look-alike traps, so check meaning rather than letters.
A: Lilacs are brightly colored, but the clue in the sentence is about smell, not color.
B (correct): Fragrant means having a pleasant scent, matching lilacs that could be smelled from far away.
C: Fragile looks similar but means easily broken; it says nothing about smell.
D: Flagrant differs by one letter but means openly shocking, as in a flagrant violation.
Question 8 of 32 · easy
After three days of rain, the forecast for the weekend still looked BLEAK.
BLEAK most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: dismal. Bleak means gloomy or without hope of improvement. Dismal is a clean ordinary synonym, while stormy adds a specific story that the sentence never states.
A: This only resembles bleak in spelling; blank means empty or unmarked.
B: This is the opposite of a discouraging forecast.
C: This invents a specific weather detail; the sentence only says the outlook was discouraging.
D (correct): Bleak describes a gloomy, discouraging outlook, which dismal also expresses.
Question 9 of 32 · medium
The mountain road ended in an ABRUPT drop-off, with no warning sign and no guardrail.
ABRUPT most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: sudden. Abrupt means sudden and unexpected, or steep. Choose the sense that fits the sentence: a road can drop off suddenly, but it cannot be rude. Dangerous is a consequence, not a synonym.
A: Abrupt can describe a rude, curt manner, but that sense applies to people, not to a road.
B (correct): In this sentence abrupt describes a road that ends without warning, which is a sudden, sharp change.
C: Gradual is the opposite of an abrupt drop.
D: The drop-off is dangerous, but that is a result of its suddenness, not the meaning of abrupt.
Question 10 of 32 · medium
Because the ladder's feet rested on a patch of wet ice, the climb was PRECARIOUS.
PRECARIOUS most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: unstable. The because clause gives the cause: the ladder sat on slippery ice, so it was insecure. Unstable fits that sense, while certain to fail claims more than the sentence says.
A (correct): Precarious means insecure or likely to give way, and wet ice under the ladder explains that instability.
B: This only looks similar to precarious and means valuable.
C: This is the opposite of a ladder sitting on slippery ice.
D: This overreads the clue; the sentence describes a risky climb, not a guaranteed fall.
Question 11 of 32 · medium
The assembly instructions were hardly COHERENT, so we called the help line.
COHERENT most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: logical and clear. Define the target before reading the negation. Coherent means logical and clear; hardly tells us the instructions were not coherent, which is why choosing confusing and vague would be a polarity trap.
A: Printing has nothing to do with whether ideas fit together sensibly.
B (correct): Coherent means well organized and easy to follow; the word hardly reverses the claim, not the definition.
C: This describes the instructions as the whole sentence presents them, but it is the opposite of what coherent itself means.
D: Length and simplicity are not the meaning of coherent; brief instructions can still be disorganized.
Question 12 of 32 · medium
After the repair, there was only a SUBTLE difference between the new paint and the old.
SUBTLE most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: barely noticeable. Subtle marks a low intensity: the difference is faint and easy to miss. Barely noticeable preserves that degree, while obvious reverses it and unpleasant or permanent add unrelated qualities.
A: The sentence gives no judgment about whether the difference looks bad.
B (correct): Subtle describes something faint or hard to detect, and the word only reinforces a small degree.
C: This reverses the degree; a subtle difference is hard to spot, not easy to see.
D: Whether the difference lasts is a separate idea that subtle does not express.
Question 13 of 32 · medium
The new recruit showed a KEEN interest in radio repair and stayed late to practice.
KEEN most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: eager. Keen has several senses, including sharp and eager. Paired with interest and supported by staying late to practice, it means eager or enthusiastic, not physically sharp.
A (correct): With the noun interest, keen means strong and enthusiastic, and staying late to practice supports that.
B: Politeness concerns manners and does not describe the strength of an interest.
C: This weakens the interest; staying late shows strong rather than passing interest.
D: Keen can describe a blade, but an interest has no physical edge, so this sense does not fit the sentence.
Question 14 of 32 · medium
The FRUGAL cook saved vegetable scraps to make broth instead of buying stock.
FRUGAL most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: thrifty. Match the denotation first: frugal means using money and materials carefully. Thrifty keeps that meaning and the sentence's approving tone, while stingy adds a negative judgment about being unwilling to share.
A: This is the opposite of saving scraps for later use.
B: This adds a criticism about refusing to give to others; the sentence describes careful use of resources, not unkindness.
C (correct): Frugal means careful about spending and using resources, which thrifty preserves without adding criticism.
D: This only resembles frugal in spelling and refers to flavor.
Question 15 of 32 · medium
CREDULOUS most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: quick to trust without proof. Credulous and credible share a root but mean different things. Credible means believable, while credulous means too ready to believe, so the phrase quick to trust without proof is the match.
A: Doubting everything is close to the opposite of credulous.
B: This guesses from the idea of giving credit, not from the actual meaning.
C (correct): Credulous describes someone who believes things too easily, which this phrase restates.
D: This is the meaning of credible, a look-alike word; credible describes a claim, credulous describes a person.
Question 16 of 32 · medium
Across the desert flat, the shrubs were SPARSE, with many yards of bare sand between them.
SPARSE most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: thinly scattered. When two choices remain, name the difference: small is about size, while thinly scattered is about spacing. The clue about yards of bare sand between shrubs tests spacing, so sparse means thinly scattered.
A (correct): Sparse means few and spread far apart, which the many yards of bare sand confirm.
B: Desert plants may be dry, but that is an associated idea, not the meaning of sparse.
C: This is the opposite of shrubs separated by wide gaps.
D: Small concerns the size of each shrub, while the sentence describes how widely they are spread.
Question 17 of 32 · medium
The sergeant remained STEADFAST even when the plan was questioned by others.
STEADFAST most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: firm and unwavering. Steadfast means firmly fixed in purpose or loyalty. The sentence's even when clue shows the sergeant did not change position under pressure, and the word part fast here means fixed, not speedy.
A: This is the opposite of remaining firm under questioning.
B: This misreads the fast in steadfast as speed; here it means firmly fixed.
C: Being questioned might upset someone, but steadfast describes firmness, not temper.
D (correct): Steadfast describes holding a position or loyalty without wavering, which this phrase restates.
Question 18 of 32 · medium
Diesel prices FLUCTUATE so much that the trucking company plans its budget around the highest likely cost.
FLUCTUATE most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: rise and fall. Fluctuate means to shift back and forth or up and down. Increase is only half the movement, and the root clue flow is helpful background but not the meaning itself.
A: The root suggests flowing, but the word means shifting up and down, not moving smoothly like liquid.
B (correct): Fluctuate means to change irregularly, going up and down, which is why the company plans for the high point.
C: Prices that only went up steadily would be rising; fluctuate means changing in both directions.
D: Stable prices would not force the company to plan for the highest possible cost.
Question 19 of 32 · medium
Before hurricane season, workers FORTIFIED the seawall with extra concrete and steel rods.
FORTIFIED most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: reinforced. Fortify means to strengthen, especially for protection. Extra concrete and steel rods before a hurricane are clues to reinforcement; repaired invents damage the sentence never mentions.
A: Adding concrete and steel changes the wall rather than just checking its size.
B: Repaired implies the wall was damaged; the sentence only says workers made it stronger before storms arrived.
C: The materials could add height, but the sentence stresses strength, not height.
D (correct): Fortify means to make stronger against attack or damage, as adding concrete and steel does.
Question 20 of 32 · medium
After the announcement of the layoffs, the mood in the break room was SOMBER.
SOMBER most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: gloomy. Somber means dark, serious, or gloomy. The sentence does not say whom anyone blamed, so angry at management adds an unsupported story; gloomy is the clean synonym.
A: This invents a cause and a target for the feeling that the sentence never states.
B: This guesses from a similar-sounding word about sleep rather than the actual meaning.
C (correct): Somber describes a dark, serious, unhappy mood, which gloomy matches.
D: This is the opposite of the mood after bad news.
Question 21 of 32 · medium
The judge gave the late juror a STERN look before the trial resumed.
STERN most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: strict. Stern means strict or severe in manner. Do not reject strict just because it sounds harsh; a negative tone is fine when it matches the definition, and the ship sense does not apply to a look.
A: Stern can name the back of a ship, but that noun sense does not fit a look.
B: This is the opposite of the disapproving manner the situation suggests.
C (correct): Stern describes a severe, strict manner, which fits a judge's disapproving look.
D: Sadness is a different feeling; stern expresses severity, not sorrow.
Question 22 of 32 · medium
The new access road helped ALLEVIATE traffic at the main gate, though long lines still formed at rush hour.
ALLEVIATE most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: ease. Alleviate means to lessen or relieve. The concession word though shows some traffic remains, so the right answer must be a partial improvement, not complete removal.
A: Elevate sounds similar but means to raise up.
B: Worsen is the opposite of the help the new road provided.
C: Lines still form at rush hour, so the problem was not removed completely; eliminate is too strong.
D (correct): Alleviate means to make a problem less severe, which fits a road that helped but did not solve everything.
Question 23 of 32 · medium
Although the training calendar has been posted, the dates are still TENTATIVE.
TENTATIVE most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: not yet final. The connector although signals that the posted calendar is not as settled as it looks. Tentative means provisional, so not yet final fits; permanently fixed reverses the meaning.
A (correct): Tentative means provisional or subject to change, and although sets it against a calendar that looks settled.
B: A posted calendar may be detailed, but the although clause sets up a contrast about certainty, not detail.
C: This is the opposite of dates that may still change.
D: This only resembles the start of tentative and describes nervousness or tightness.
Question 24 of 32 · medium
Her INGENIOUS fix used a bent paper clip to hold the broken latch closed.
INGENIOUS most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: clever. Ingenious means cleverly inventive. Watch for the false friend ingenuous, which means innocent or naive; the two words differ by only a couple of letters but not in meaning.
A (correct): Ingenious describes an inventive, smart solution, which fits using a paper clip as a latch.
B: This is the opposite of an inventive, unexpected solution.
C: This is the meaning of ingenuous, a look-alike word that describes innocence.
D: A paper clip is cheap, and cost is not part of the word's meaning anyway.
Question 25 of 32 · hard
After the recount showed she had lost by 212 votes, the candidate CONCEDED the election and congratulated her opponent.
CONCEDED most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: admitted losing. Concede means to admit, often reluctantly, that something is true, such as a loss. The cause clue (the recount showed she lost) and the result clue (she congratulated her opponent) both point to accepting defeat.
A: She may feel regret, but the sentence shows an action, not an emotion; this imports a feeling the word does not name.
B: Disputing the result would mean challenging it, which conflicts with congratulating the winner.
C: The recount showed she lost, so won contradicts the sentence.
D (correct): To concede an election is to accept and admit defeat, which fits a loser who congratulates her opponent.
Question 26 of 32 · hard
In the thick fog, the lookout could barely DISCERN the outline of the pier.
DISCERN most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: make out. Discern means to perceive or recognize, often with effort. Substitute each choice: could barely make out the outline keeps the sense, while describe and approach change the action. Barely limits the degree but does not reverse the meaning.
A: The lookout might later describe the pier, but the sentence is about the act of seeing it through fog.
B: Barely limits how well he sees; it does not mean he paid no attention.
C: Nothing says the lookout moved toward the pier; the word concerns perception, not movement.
D (correct): Discern means to detect or recognize something with difficulty, which is what make out means.
Question 27 of 32 · hard
The captain tried to TEMPER the crew's anger with a calm, honest speech.
TEMPER most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: soften. Temper has several senses, including treating metal and moderating something. With the object anger and the clue of a calm speech, it means to soften or moderate.
A: This is the metalworking sense of temper, which does not apply to a crew's anger.
B: This is the opposite of calming the crew with a measured speech.
C (correct): As a verb applied to feelings, temper means to moderate or tone down, which fits a calm speech.
D: This links temper to temperature, but the sentence is about easing anger, not measuring it.
Question 28 of 32 · hard
For years the cause of the bridge's vibration remained ELUSIVE; engineers ran dozens of tests, yet no explanation held up.
ELUSIVE most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: hard to pin down. Elusive means hard to find, grasp, or explain. The clues (dozens of tests, no explanation held up) show the cause kept escaping identification. Imaginary is a false friend from the look-alike word illusory.
A: Engineers ran dozens of tests, which shows the cause mattered a great deal.
B: Elusive is easily confused with illusory, but the vibration and its cause are real; they were simply hard to identify.
C (correct): Elusive means difficult to find, catch, or define, like a cause that escapes dozens of tests.
D: A vibrating bridge may be a hazard, but the word describes the cause escaping detection, not its risk.
Question 29 of 32 · hard
Because the company had just lost its two largest clients, its future looked TENUOUS.
TENUOUS most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: shaky. The because clause explains why the future was weak or insecure, so tenuous means shaky. Doomed claims an outcome the sentence never states, and persistent comes from the look-alike word tenacious.
A (correct): Tenuous means weak or insecure, which matches an uncertain future after losing major clients.
B: This confuses tenuous with tenacious, which means holding on firmly.
C: This is the opposite of a future put at risk by losing clients.
D: This overreads the cause; losing clients makes the future uncertain, but the sentence does not say the company will fail.
Question 30 of 32 · hard
Even after seeing the test results, the engineer remained OBSTINATE about keeping his original design.
OBSTINATE most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: stubborn. Obstinate means stubbornly refusing to change. The even after clue shows the engineer ignored contrary evidence; confident has a more positive tone and does not include the refusal to change.
A: This is the opposite of refusing to change in the face of new evidence.
B: A stubborn person may seem sure of himself, but confidence lacks the core idea of refusing to change.
C: This only shares opening letters with obstinate and means willing to follow orders.
D (correct): Obstinate means refusing to change one's mind, and even after seeing the results shows exactly that.
Question 31 of 32 · hard
The final line of the memo was AMBIGUOUS, so two readers reached opposite conclusions.
AMBIGUOUS most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: open to more than one meaning. The result clue, two readers reaching opposite conclusions, points to a line that can be read in more than one way. A multiword paraphrase is acceptable when it states the meaning exactly, and incorrect is a shorter word that does not.
A: This only resembles ambiguous in spelling and means eager to succeed.
B (correct): Ambiguous means capable of being understood in more than one way, which explains the opposite conclusions.
C: This adds a claim about accuracy; a line can be factually accurate yet still have two possible meanings.
D: Nothing in the sentence describes the tone; this adds an unsupported judgment.
Question 32 of 32 · hard
The crew waited for the wind to ABATE before raising the antenna mast.
ABATE most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: lessen. Abate means to become less strong. Predicting a meaning from the situation, waiting before a risky task, points to the wind dying down, so lessen fits and intensify is the opposite.
A: This adds an unsupported detail; the sentence is about waiting for safer conditions, not a new direction.
B: This misreads the sentence; the wind is already present and the crew is waiting for it to weaken.
C: This is the opposite; the crew would not wait for stronger wind before raising a mast.
D (correct): Abate means to decrease in strength, which explains why the crew waited before raising the mast.
The referee could not ignore such a BLATANT foul; the whole stadium saw the player shove his opponent to the ground.
BLATANT most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: obvious. Blatant means glaringly obvious, done without any attempt to hide it. The clue is that the whole stadium saw it; violent describes the act, not how visible it was.
A (correct): Blatant means done openly and plainly, so obvious that no one could miss it, just as the whole stadium saw the shove.
B: A foul seen by everyone and impossible to ignore is the opposite of a minor one.
C: The shove was rough, but blatant describes how openly it happened, not how much force was used.
D: Nothing suggests the shove was unintended; blatant actually implies the act was done openly.
Practice 2 of 38 · medium
To BOLSTER morale during the long deployment, the unit set up weekly video calls with families back home.
BOLSTER most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: boost. Bolster means to support, prop up, or strengthen. The purpose clue (calls with families during a long deployment) shows the aim is to raise spirits.
A: The video calls are meant to change morale, not to check its level.
B: Morale is not being swapped for something else; the calls are meant to support it.
C: Lower is the opposite of what weekly calls home are meant to do for morale.
D (correct): Bolster means to support or strengthen, so boost fits the goal of lifting morale.
Practice 3 of 38 · medium
The HAUGHTY new manager refused to eat lunch with the warehouse crew and spoke to them as if they were beneath him.
HAUGHTY most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: arrogant. The clue, speaking to the crew as if they were beneath him, shows proud scorn. Remove the opposite (humble) and the sound-alike (naughty), then compare: wealthy is merely related, so arrogant is the precise match.
A: Humble is the opposite: modest rather than proud.
B: Naughty only rhymes with the target; it means badly behaved, which is a sound-alike trap.
C (correct): Arrogant captures the core sense of acting superior and looking down on others, which the sentence shows.
D: A manager may earn more, but wealth is loosely related, not the meaning of the word.
Practice 4 of 38 · medium
The resistance fighters held CLANDESTINE meetings in a farmhouse cellar, posting a lookout and changing the meeting place every week.
CLANDESTINE most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: secret. Clandestine means done in secret, often to avoid being caught. The lookout and changing meeting place are clues to secrecy; illegal is a frequent association, not the meaning.
A (correct): Clandestine means kept hidden, which explains the lookout and the changing location.
B: The meetings were weekly, but clandestine refers to how hidden they were, not how often they happened.
C: Clandestine activities are often against the rules, but the word itself means secret, not unlawful.
D: Nothing in the sentence says how many people attended.
Practice 5 of 38 · easy
Before the championship game, the two rival coaches exchanged a CORDIAL handshake at midfield.
CORDIAL most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: friendly. Cordial means warm, courteous, and friendly. Substitute friendly into the sentence and it keeps the meaning; brief and firm describe other features of a handshake.
A: A handshake may be brief, but cordial describes its warmth, not its length.
B: Rivals might be tense, but cordial points the other way; this assumes a story the word rules out.
C: A very firm grip describes strength; cordial describes friendliness of manner.
D (correct): Cordial means warm and friendly in a polite way, the right word for a sporting handshake between rivals.
Practice 6 of 38 · medium
Unlike his rambling first draft, the sergeant's final report was CONCISE, covering every key fact in half a page.
CONCISE most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: brief and clear. Concise means brief but complete and to the point. The contrast marker unlike sets the word against rambling, so the answer must involve shortness; complete is only half the meaning.
A: The report does cover every key fact, but concise stresses brevity, which is what contrasts with rambling.
B: Long and wordy describes the rambling first draft, the opposite of the final report.
C (correct): Concise means saying a lot in few words, matching a half-page report that still covers every key fact.
D: A report that covers every key fact is not careless; short does not mean sloppy.
Practice 7 of 38 · medium
With a few DEFT turns of the screwdriver, the technician had the panel cover off in seconds.
DEFT most nearly means:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: skillful. Deft means neat, quick, and skillful in movement. Hurried shares the speed but misses the skill, so it is only partly right.
A: Deft is about skill and lightness of touch, not about power.
B: Clumsy is the opposite of the smooth, quick work described.
C: The work is fast, but hurried suggests rushing and possible mistakes; deft stresses skill.
D (correct): Deft means quick and skillful with the hands, matching a technician who removes a cover in seconds.
Practice 8 of 38 · medium
Bright motion-sensor lights were installed around the warehouse to DETER thieves.
DETER most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: discourage. Ask what the lights are for: they make a break-in feel risky, so thieves decide not to try. DETER means to discourage or prevent by making something seem unwise; detect is a look-alike that misses that sense.
A: Lights cannot arrest anyone; this adds a story about police that the sentence does not give.
B (correct): Discourage fits: bright lights make thieves less willing to try breaking in.
C: Detect looks similar and the sensors do notice motion, but the purpose stated is keeping thieves away, not just spotting and following them.
D: Attract is the opposite of the purpose of security lighting.
Practice 9 of 38 · hard
After weeks of negotiation, the company agreed to RELINQUISH its claim to the land along the river.
RELINQUISH most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: give up. Predict from the clue: after long negotiation, the company letting go of its claim is the natural outcome. RELINQUISH means to give up or surrender; sell adds a story the sentence does not supply.
A (correct): Give up fits: after negotiation the company surrenders its claim to the land.
B: Defend is the opposite: it means to hold on to the claim.
C: Selling is one possible way to give up land, but the sentence does not say any money changed hands.
D: Record is loosely related to land claims but does not mean surrendering one.
Practice 10 of 38 · hard
When a warning light came on at 30,000 feet, the pilot stayed COMPOSED, calmly reading the emergency checklist aloud to her copilot.
COMPOSED most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: calm. Composed has several senses: written, made up of, and self-controlled. Only the self-controlled sense fits a person facing an emergency, and calmly confirms it. Always match the sense the sentence uses.
A (correct): In this sentence composed describes a person keeping control of her emotions, which is what calm means.
B: Composed can mean written, as in music, but that sense applies to works, not to a person reacting to an emergency.
C: Composed of can mean made up of parts, but that sense does not fit a pilot's reaction.
D: The pilot reads the checklist aloud, so silent is contradicted by the sentence.
Practice 11 of 38 · easy
Please do not OMIT your phone number when you fill out the application form.
OMIT most nearly means:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: leave out. Define the word first, then apply the not: to OMIT is to leave something out. The phrase leave out states that meaning; include is what the whole sentence asks for, not what the word means, and admit is a sound-alike.
A: Include is the opposite of omit; the sentence asks you not to omit, which means it wants you to include the number.
B: Admit sounds similar but means to confess or let in.
C (correct): Leave out is the exact meaning of omit.
D: Writing something twice repeats it, which is unrelated to leaving something off a form.
Practice 12 of 38 · hard
The new medicine had ADVERSE effects on a few patients, who reported headaches and dizziness.
ADVERSE most nearly means:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: harmful. The example clue, headaches and dizziness, shows the effects were bad. ADVERSE means harmful or unfavorable. Do not confuse it with averse (reluctant), and do not settle for unexpected, which only partly fits.
A (correct): Harmful fits: headaches and dizziness are unwanted, damaging effects.
B: Unwilling is the meaning of averse, a look-alike word; the sentence describes effects, not a person's attitude.
C: Beneficial is the opposite of what headaches and dizziness show.
D: Side effects may be surprising, but the clue stresses that they were bad, not that they were unforeseen.
Practice 13 of 38 · easy
From the muddy boots by the door, it was EVIDENT that someone had been out in the rain.
EVIDENT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: obvious. The muddy boots make the conclusion plain to see, and the related word evidence points the same way. EVIDENT means obvious; hidden is the opposite and eventual is a look-alike.
A: Hidden is the opposite of evident.
B: Eventual shares the ev- start but means happening later.
C (correct): Obvious means easy to see or understand, which fits a conclusion drawn plainly from muddy boots.
D: The fact may matter, but importance is a different idea from being easy to see.
Practice 14 of 38 · medium
The architect said the plan to add a second floor was FEASIBLE, as long as the foundation was reinforced first.
FEASIBLE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: workable. Read the whole clause: as long as the foundation was reinforced shows the plan can succeed under a condition. FEASIBLE means possible or practical to do, so workable is the best match.
A: Reinforcing a foundation may cost money, but the word describes whether the plan can work, not its price.
B: The condition hints at a risk, but the architect is saying the plan can be done, not that it is unsafe.
C: Nothing is built yet; the sentence describes a plan, so finished adds a fact that is not there.
D (correct): Workable means able to be done successfully, which matches a plan that can go ahead once the foundation is reinforced.
Practice 15 of 38 · medium
The sergeant was DUBIOUS about the private's claim that the radio had fixed itself overnight.
DUBIOUS most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: doubtful. A radio that supposedly fixed itself is an unlikely claim, so the sergeant would question it. DUBIOUS means feeling doubt or uncertainty; substituting doubtful keeps the sentence's meaning.
A: Anger is a stronger, different reaction; the sentence only shows she questioned the claim.
B: Convinced is the opposite of doubting the story.
C (correct): Doubtful fits: a radio fixing itself is hard to believe, so the sergeant did not accept the claim.
D: She might find the story funny, but that is an invented reaction, not the meaning of the word.
Practice 16 of 38 · easy
Which word is closest in meaning to DILUTE?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: water down. Dilute means to make a liquid weaker or thinner by adding more liquid, as when you dilute bleach with water. Water down matches; pollute is a sound-alike and dissolve is a different process.
A: Dissolving means mixing a solid into a liquid until it disappears; dilute means making a mixture weaker.
B: Thickening is the opposite of thinning a mixture down.
C (correct): To dilute is to thin or weaken something, usually by adding water or another liquid.
D: Pollute rhymes with dilute but means to make dirty or contaminated.
Practice 17 of 38 · hard
The warning sign was far from CONSPICUOUS, so several drivers missed the exit.
CONSPICUOUS most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: noticeable. Define the word before applying the negation: CONSPICUOUS means easy to notice. Far from flips the sentence, so the sign was hard to see, but the word itself still means noticeable. Choosing hidden flips the word instead of the sentence.
A: Confusing could explain missed exits, but it is a guess about the sign's wording, not the meaning of the word.
B (correct): Noticeable is the word's own meaning; far from negates it, which is why drivers missed the sign.
C: Hidden describes how the sign actually was, after the negation; it is the opposite of the word itself.
D: Official is loosely related to road signs but does not mean easy to see.
Practice 18 of 38 · easy
The supply room is ADJACENT to the motor pool office, so a clerk can walk between them in a few steps.
ADJACENT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: next to. The clue, a walk of only a few steps, shows the rooms are side by side. ADJACENT means lying next to or bordering, so next to is the match.
A: Far from is the opposite of adjacent and contradicts a walk of a few steps.
B (correct): Next to is the exact meaning: the two rooms border each other.
C: Similar to means alike, which is a different relationship from being side by side.
D: Size is not mentioned; the clue is about how close the rooms are.
Practice 19 of 38 · easy
Public health crews worked for decades to ERADICATE the disease from the region.
ERADICATE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: wipe out. Eradicate means to eliminate entirely. Reduce is the tempting near-miss, but it lacks the complete degree the word carries.
A: Crews may study a disease closely, but the goal described is getting rid of it, not learning about it.
B: Reduce is partly right but too weak; eradicate means remove completely.
C: Spread is the opposite of what health crews try to do.
D (correct): Eradicate means to destroy completely, root and all, which is what wipe out means.
Practice 20 of 38 · hard
With two backup generators on site, the chance of a total power failure during the event is REMOTE.
REMOTE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: slight. REMOTE has several senses: far away, operated from a distance, or small. Applied to a chance, and with two backup generators as the clue, the sentence calls for small, so slight is the best match.
A: Isolated fits the place sense of remote, as in a remote cabin, but a chance cannot be cut off from others; this is the wrong sense.
B (correct): Slight fits the sentence sense: with two backups, the chance of failure is small.
C: Certain is the opposite of what two backup generators suggest.
D: Remote control is a familiar phrase, but controlled does not describe the size of a chance.
Practice 21 of 38 · hard
The stranded hikers built a CRUDE shelter from branches, a torn tarp, and a few strips of duct tape.
CRUDE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: roughly made. Crude has several senses: unrefined (crude oil), vulgar (crude jokes), and roughly made. The materials listed (branches, torn tarp, tape) point to rough construction; temporary is a likely fact about the shelter but not the word's meaning.
A: Crude can mean offensive when describing jokes or language, but that sense does not fit a shelter.
B: Crude oil is a familiar phrase, but here the word describes how the shelter was made, not what it contains.
C (correct): Crude here means simple and roughly put together, which fits a shelter made of branches, a torn tarp, and tape.
D: The shelter probably is temporary, but crude describes its rough construction, not how long it will last.
Practice 22 of 38 · easy
All visitors must COMPLY with the base's security rules before they are allowed past the gate.
COMPLY most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: obey. Rules that must be met before entry are rules to follow. COMPLY means to do what is required, so obey is the synonym; complain and complete only share letters.
A: Complain shares the comp- start but means to express dissatisfaction.
B: Ignore is the opposite of following the rules.
C: Complete is a look-alike that means to finish.
D (correct): Obey matches comply: to follow a rule, order or request.
Practice 23 of 38 · medium
Don't waste the meeting on TRIVIAL matters like the color of the folders; we need to discuss the safety budget.
TRIVIAL most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: unimportant. The example, folder color, is set against the safety budget, so the word must mean minor. TRIVIAL means of little importance, so unimportant is the match.
A: Colorful picks up a detail from the example, not the meaning of the word.
B: Urgent is the opposite; it describes the safety budget the speaker wants to focus on.
C (correct): Unimportant fits: folder color is offered as an example of something minor compared with safety.
D: Nothing suggests folder color is hard to understand; the contrast is about importance.
Practice 24 of 38 · easy
He took a weekend job to AUGMENT his regular paycheck.
AUGMENT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: increase. A second job adds money on top of the regular pay. AUGMENT means to make bigger, so increase is the synonym; replace changes the story and reduce is the opposite.
A: Argue is a sound-alike that starts with similar letters but means to disagree.
B (correct): Increase is the meaning of augment: to make larger or add to.
C: Reduce is the opposite; a second job adds income.
D: He kept his regular job, so the weekend job adds to the paycheck rather than replacing it.
Practice 25 of 38 · hard
The couple's LAVISH wedding included a twelve-piece band, imported flowers and a five-course dinner for three hundred guests.
LAVISH most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: extravagant. The example clues, a band, imported flowers and a five-course dinner, all show large, generous spending. Wasteful and extravagant both mean spending a lot, but wasteful adds a negative tone the neutral sentence does not support, so extravagant is the better choice.
A: Wasteful shares the idea of spending a lot, but it adds a critical judgment the sentence does not make.
B (correct): Extravagant matches the meaning: rich, plentiful and costly, as the list of details shows.
C: Three hundred guests is a lot of people, but the word describes the richness of the event, not its crowd.
D: A large wedding may be formal, but formality is about manners and dress, not abundance.
Practice 26 of 38 · hard
The anonymous caller spread MALICIOUS rumors in order to damage the shop owner's reputation.
MALICIOUS most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: spiteful. MALICIOUS means intending harm, and in order to damage confirms the intent. The answer has to sound negative, so do not avoid unpleasant choices; careless lacks intent and mischievous is too mild, leaving spiteful.
A: Mischievous suggests playful trouble-making, which is far milder than an attempt to damage a reputation.
B: Careless means without attention; the phrase in order to shows the harm was deliberate.
C: Generous is a pleasant word a test taker might pick to avoid a negative answer, but it is close to the opposite.
D (correct): Spiteful matches malicious: wanting to hurt others on purpose.
Practice 27 of 38 · medium
The detective refused to DIVULGE the name of the witness, saying it would put her in danger.
DIVULGE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: reveal. Divulge means to disclose or reveal something secret. Define the target word before applying the negation: refused to reveal makes sense, while protect describes the whole clause, not the word.
A: Protecting the witness is the effect of refusing; the word divulge itself means the opposite action.
B: Nothing suggests the detective could not remember the name.
C (correct): Divulge means to make known something private or secret, so refusing to divulge the name means refusing to reveal it.
D: Divide looks similar but means to split into parts.
Practice 28 of 38 · medium
The old furnace was ERRATIC: some mornings the house was freezing and other mornings it was stifling, with no pattern anyone could find.
ERRATIC most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: unpredictable. Erratic means irregular and unpredictable. The colon introduces an explanation (freezing some days, stifling others, no pattern), which confirms the meaning; broken and mistaken are partly related traps.
A (correct): Erratic means irregular and inconsistent, with no pattern, exactly as the colon explains.
B: The furnace still runs, sometimes too hot, so completely broken overstates and changes the meaning.
C: Erratic shares letters with error, but it describes irregular behavior, not being wrong.
D: Steady is the opposite of performance that swings with no pattern.
Practice 29 of 38 · medium
After months of exciting fieldwork overseas, she found her new desk job MUNDANE.
MUNDANE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: ordinary. The contrast with exciting fieldwork tells you the desk job lacks excitement. MUNDANE means everyday or dull, so ordinary is the closest meaning.
A: Demanding means hard, which is a different idea from being dull and routine.
B: Nothing in the sentence says how long the job will last.
C (correct): Ordinary fits: the desk job is plain and routine compared with exciting fieldwork.
D: Danger is not suggested by a desk job and adds an unsupported story.
Practice 30 of 38 · easy
The company chose ROBUST laptops that could survive being dropped in the field.
ROBUST most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: sturdy. The clue, surviving drops in the field, shows strength. ROBUST means strong and tough, so sturdy is the synonym; fragile is the opposite and robotic only looks similar.
A (correct): Sturdy matches robust: strong and able to withstand rough use.
B: Fragile is the opposite of a laptop that survives drops.
C: Robotic is a look-alike that shares letters but means machine-like.
D: Rugged laptops may cost more, but price is loosely related, not the meaning.
Practice 31 of 38 · medium
The new hire was so INEPT with the forklift that he knocked over two pallets in his first hour.
INEPT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: clumsy. The result clue, knocking over two pallets, shows poor handling. INEPT means lacking skill or awkward, so clumsy is the match; careful points the opposite way.
A: Eager describes willingness, not the lack of skill shown by the knocked-over pallets.
B: Careful is closer to the opposite of what knocking over pallets suggests.
C: Fatigue might cause mistakes, but the sentence gives no clue about energy, only about poor handling.
D (correct): Clumsy fits: knocking over two pallets in an hour shows a lack of skill with the forklift.
Practice 32 of 38 · hard
The campground mostly serves TRANSIENT visitors who stay a night or two before moving on.
TRANSIENT most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: temporary. The clue, a night or two before moving on, shows a short stay. TRANSIENT means lasting only briefly; traveling covers only part of that idea and homeless adds a story the sentence does not tell.
A (correct): Temporary fits: visitors who stay a night or two and move on are only there briefly.
B: Nothing in the sentence describes the visitors' manners; transient is about how long they stay.
C: Transient can describe people without homes, but the sentence is about campground visitors passing through.
D: Permanent is the opposite of a stay of a night or two.
Practice 33 of 38 · medium
The lake was so PLACID at dawn that it reflected the pine trees like a mirror.
PLACID most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: still. The result clue, reflecting like a mirror, means no waves or ripples. PLACID means calm and peaceful, so still is the precise match.
A (correct): Still fits: a surface smooth enough to mirror the trees is calm and undisturbed.
B: A lake's depth has nothing to do with reflecting like a mirror; this is a loosely related idea.
C: Dawn might be cold, but temperature does not explain the mirror-like surface.
D: Stormy is the opposite; rough water could not reflect clearly.
Practice 34 of 38 · easy
The AMIABLE desk clerk greeted every hotel guest by name and with a smile.
AMIABLE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: friendly. Greeting every guest by name with a smile shows a pleasant, warm manner. AMIABLE means friendly; hostile is an opposite and able and aimless are look-alikes.
A: Hostile is the opposite of amiable.
B: Able appears inside the word, but meaning skilled or capable makes it a spelling trap.
C: Aimless shares the letters a, i and m but means without purpose.
D (correct): Friendly is the meaning of amiable: pleasant and easy to get along with.
Practice 35 of 38 · hard
Although she had never taken a music lesson, Dana had an INNATE sense of rhythm that impressed the band director.
INNATE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: inborn. The contrast marker although sets never taking a lesson against having a sense of rhythm, so the skill was not learned. INNATE means present from birth, so inborn is the match; inner only shares letters.
A: Trained is the opposite of what the sentence shows: she never took a lesson.
B (correct): Inborn fits: the rhythm sense was natural, present without any lessons.
C: An impressive skill may be rare, but the contrast clue is about where the skill came from, not how uncommon it is.
D: Inner is a look-alike from the in- start; it means inside, not natural from birth.
Practice 36 of 38 · medium
Rising water in the basement COMPELLED the family to move their furniture upstairs.
COMPELLED most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: forced. Ask what the water did: it created pressure that made moving necessary. COMPEL means to force or require, so forced is the match; allowed is too weak.
A (correct): Forced fits: the rising water left the family no real choice but to move the furniture.
B: Allowed suggests permission, which is far weaker than the pressure rising water creates.
C: The water did not assist the move; it caused the need for it.
D: Completed shares the com- start, a spelling trap that ignores the meaning.
Practice 37 of 38 · medium
To EXPEDITE the shipment, the supplier paid extra for overnight air delivery.
EXPEDITE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: speed up. The method tells the purpose: overnight air delivery is chosen to make the shipment arrive sooner. EXPEDITE means to speed up a process; the phrase choice states that meaning.
A: Paying extra could suggest insurance, but the stated method, overnight air, is about speed.
B (correct): Speed up fits: choosing overnight air delivery makes the shipment arrive faster.
C: Inspect is unrelated to the delivery method described.
D: Explore is a look-alike that sounds a bit like expedition, but it does not fit sending a package.
Practice 38 of 38 · medium
After the flood, the crew was able to SALVAGE most of the tools from the flooded shed.
SALVAGE most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: save. The flood is the threat and most of the tools is what survived, so the crew rescued them. SALVAGE means to save something from loss or damage.
A: Selling is a possible later action, but the sentence only says the tools were recovered.
B (correct): Save fits: the crew rescued the tools from the flood damage.
C: Flooded tools may need cleaning, but that adds a step the sentence never mentions.
D: Discard is the opposite of rescuing the tools.
About this test
Try running it with a personal timer, but focus on decisions you can defend. Each answer comes with an explanation showing which clue mattered and which distractor type was in play: a false friend, a partly true option, or a negation that reversed a good guess. Record misses in an error log by the step that failed, then go back to the matching section of the Timed Elimination lesson, for example the final-two comparison or scope and negation.
If you want another round, 38 extra practice questions for this lesson are ready after your review. Read the percentage as feedback on your process, not as an ASVAB result.
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