SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Identifying Synonyms

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #902 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

A synonym of “sabotage” is __________.

Possible Answers:

supplant

reconsider

wreck

narrow

renovate

Correct answer:

wreck

Explanation:

“Sabotage” is a word that can be used as a verb or a noun, but because all of the potential answer choices are verbs, we will need to consider it as a noun. When “sabotage” is used as a verb, it means “deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “deliberately destroy.” That means that “renovate” cannot be the correct answer, because “renovate” is a verb that means “restore (something old, especially a building) to a good state of repair,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “sabotage.” “Wreck,” however, is a word that when used as a verb, can mean “destroy or severely damage (a structure or vehicle),” and because “wreck” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “sabotage,” “wreck” is the correct answer.

Example Question #903 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

A synonym of “assembly” is __________.

Possible Answers:

preparation

individual

network

meeting

facet

Correct answer:

meeting

Explanation:

“Assembly” is a noun that can mean “a group of people gathered together in one place for a common purpose,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “a group of people gathered together with a common goal.” That means that “individual” cannot be the correct answer, because “individual,” when used as a noun, means “a single human being as distinct from a group, class, or family,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “assembly.” “Meeting,” however, is a noun that means “an assembly of people, especially the members of a society or committee, for discussion or entertainment,” and because “meeting” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “assembly,” “meeting” is the correct answer.

Example Question #904 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

A synonym of “finesse” is __________.

Possible Answers:

tact

ineptness

hierarchy

nemesis

delirium

Correct answer:

tact

Explanation:

“Finesse” is a word that can be used as a noun or a verb, but because all of the possible answer choices are nouns, we will need to consider “finesse” as a noun. When used as a noun, “finesse” means either “intricate and refined delicacy” or “artful subtlety, typically that needed for tactful handling of a difficulty.” So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “refined delicacy” or “artful subtlety.” That means that “ineptness” cannot be the correct answer, because “ineptness” means “the quality of having or showing no skill; clumsiness,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “finesse.” “Tact,” however, is a noun that means “adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues,” and because “tact” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “finesse,” “tact” is the correct answer.

Example Question #104 : Synonyms: Nouns

Choose the best synonym for the word in capital letters.

CUSTOM

Possible Answers:

correlation

craft

race

convention

trick

Correct answer:

convention

Explanation:

custom is a tradition or convention.

Example Question #905 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

A synonym of “yearning” is __________.

Possible Answers:

luster

conversation

emotion

desire

avoidance

Correct answer:

desire

Explanation:

“Yearning” is a noun that means “a feeling of intense longing for something,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “intense longing.” That means that “avoidance” cannot be the correct answer, because “avoidance” means “the act of keeping away from or stopping oneself,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “yearning.” “Desire,” however, is a noun that can mean “a strong feeling of wishing for something to happen,” and because “desire” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “yearning,” “desire” is the correct answer.

Example Question #16 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Hiatus

Possible Answers:

Break

Beggar

Enrollment

Intellect

Surrender

Correct answer:

Break

Explanation:

"Hiatus" means a break or interruption.

Example Question #18 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Brevity

Possible Answers:

Consistency

Preparation

Selection

Duct

Shortness

Correct answer:

Shortness

Explanation:

"Brevity" means a shortness of time or duration. It also means expressing a lot in few words.

Example Question #123 : Synonyms

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Correlation

Possible Answers:

Caution

Relationship

Influence

Propulsion

Recognition 

Correct answer:

Relationship

Explanation:

A "correlation" is a relationship between two or more things.

Example Question #16 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

Synonyms: Select the words that are most similar in meaning.

Peril

Possible Answers:

Narrative

Principal

Danger

Introversion

Vertex

Correct answer:

Danger

Explanation:

"Peril" means danger.

Example Question #21 : Synonyms: Nouns For Abstract Concepts

A synonym of “quibble” is __________.

Possible Answers:

complaint

compliment

bubble

emotion

energy

Correct answer:

complaint

Explanation:

“Quibble” is a word that can be used as a noun or a verb, but because all of the answer choices can be used as nouns, we will need to consider “quibble” as a noun. When used as a noun, “quibble” means “a slight objection or criticism,” so we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like “a slight objection.” That means that “compliment” cannot be the correct answer, because “compliment,” when used as a noun, means “a polite expression of praise or admiration,” making it an antonym, not a synonym, of “quibble.” “Complaint,” however, is a noun that means “a statement that a situation is unsatisfactory,” and because “complaint” is the answer choice closest in meaning to “quibble,” “complaint” is the correct answer.

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