SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Analogies

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

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #591 : Analogies

Complete the analogy:

Toothbrush is to mouth as __________.

Possible Answers:

feather is to bird

comb is to hair

pen is to writer

wire is to chain-link fence

as bat is to baseball

Correct answer:

comb is to hair

Explanation:

We use "toothbrushes" in our "mouths." We use "combs" in our "hair." The relationship is tool to body part. None of the other analogies have this relationship.

Bats are used in baseball, but humans do not have baseballs as parts of their body. Chain-link fence is composed of wire, but neither word is related to a body part. Writers use pens but writers are not a body part. Feather is a body part of a bird, but bird is not a part of the human body.

Example Question #592 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Sword is to fencing as lance is to __________.

Possible Answers:

jousting

rowing

riding

fishing

running

Correct answer:

jousting

Explanation:

A sword is the weapon used in fencing, while a lance is the weapon used in the medieval sport of jousting. This analogy relates an implement to the fighting sport for which it is used. The rest of the options are, indeed, sports, but they are sports that do not require a lance.

Example Question #593 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Paper is to inscribe as __________ is to repose.

Possible Answers:

school

car

yard

office

bed

Correct answer:

bed

Explanation:

To "inscribe" means to write, to mark. So, one might use "paper" for the purposes of "inscribing." To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is something one might use to "repose." Well, "repose" means rest, so the correct answer is "bed."

Example Question #594 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Preserve is to jar as mend is to __________.

Possible Answers:

window

glue

door

knife

furnace

Correct answer:

glue

Explanation:

To begin with "preserve" means save, keep intact for later use. So, one might use a "jar" to "preserve" something. What might one need to use in order to "mend" something? Well, "mend" means fix, repair, so the best possible answer is "glue."

Example Question #595 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Hinge is to join as jack is to __________.

Possible Answers:

destroy

mend

suspend

lift

crush

Correct answer:

lift

Explanation:

The function of a "hinge" is to join two pieces of something together. Its functionality is to "join" things. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what the functionality of a "jack" is. The correct answer is to "lift" things. When you see someone raising the height of a car so they can change a flat tire, they are likely using a "jack." Additionally, "suspend" means pause, stop something until later.

Example Question #596 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Forge is to __________ as cure is to medicine.

Possible Answers:

knife

ladder

hammer

faucet

grill

Correct answer:

hammer

Explanation:

To begin with "cure" means heal, make no longer sick. "Medicine" is something you use to "cure." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is an object that you use to "forge" something. Well, "forge" means to make or shape a metal object, like a sword. So, the correct answer is that you use a "hammer."

Example Question #597 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Handlebar is to __________ as microwave is to cooking.

Possible Answers:

steering

cleaning

running

cutting

undermining

Correct answer:

steering

Explanation:

A "microwave" is a tool used for "cooking." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what a "handlebar" is used for. Well, a "handlebar" is the piece of a bicycle that allows one to change the direction of the wheels. It is therefore used for "steering."

Example Question #598 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Flare is to __________ as lens is to magnify.

Possible Answers:

plan

uproot

tie

alert

lose

Correct answer:

alert

Explanation:

A "lens" is an optic device used to make something easier to see by either making it clearer or larger. A purpose of a "lens" is therefore to "magnify" (make larger). So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is the purpose of a "flare." Well, a "flare" is a device used to fire a light into the sky as a signal. It is therefore used to "alert." Additionally, "uproot" means move from one place to another, usually forcefully.

Example Question #599 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Foxhole is to protection as password is to __________.

Possible Answers:

delusion

idiocy

secrecy

genius

comfort

Correct answer:

secrecy

Explanation:

A "foxhole" is a hole in the ground used by troops for "protection" from enemy fire during a battle. The purpose of a "foxhole" then is to provide "protection." Which of these describes the purpose of a "password?" The correct answer is "secrecy," or the ability to be secret. Additionally, "delusion" is having a false understanding of things.

Example Question #600 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Megaphone is to __________ as spectacles is to clarity.

Possible Answers:

emotion

appearance

volume

color

flavor

Correct answer:

volume

Explanation:

"Spectacles" are glasses and you use glasses to improve the "clarity" (clearness) of something. So, for what purpose might you use a "megaphone?" The correct answer is to improve the "volume" of something.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors