GRE Sentence Equivalence: 25 Synonym Pairs
For GRE Sentence Equivalence, a synonym pair is only a candidate. Both words must fit the sentence and produce equivalent completed meanings.
ETS warns against simply hunting for two synonyms. Some obvious synonyms do not fit the blank, while a valid pair may not be identical in every setting. Treat these as retrieval pairs, then test them against grammar, tone, and logic.
original / innovative
new rather than traditional
conventional / orthodox
following established ideas
worsen / exacerbate
make a problem more severe
improve / ameliorate
make a bad condition better
determine / ascertain
find out with confidence
hide / obscure
make difficult to see or understand
emphasize / underscore
draw attention to importance
overshadow / eclipse
make something else seem less prominent
invalidate / refute
show a claim to be unsound
illuminate / clarify
make an idea easier to understand
plausible / credible
seeming reasonable or believable
superficial / shallow
lacking depth
precarious / unstable
not securely established
relentless / unremitting
continuing without easing
eccentric / unconventional
departing from normal practice
trifling / negligible
too minor to matter
permanently / indefinitely
without a known end
irregularly / sporadically
without a steady pattern
overlooked / neglected
not given due attention
diagnosed / identified
recognized the cause or nature
enhance / augment
increase or improve
certain / definite
free from meaningful doubt
counterproductive / self-defeating
working against the intended result
coherent / logical
forming a consistent whole
significant / consequential
important in effect
A reliable Sentence Equivalence method
- Cover the options and predict the missing idea.
- Use contrast or continuation signals to check the prediction.
- Test each possible word inside the entire sentence.
- Keep two choices only if both sentences remain coherent and equivalent.
Why synonym hunting fails
Imagine a sentence praising a work for departing from tradition. Conventional and orthodox are synonyms, but both would reverse the intended praise. The pair is real; the fit is wrong. Meaning in context outranks a relationship memorized from a list.
Practice the right way
Write one sentence for each pair in which either word preserves the same overall meaning. Then change one clue so only one member fits. That second exercise teaches nuance. When reviewing an error, record whether you missed the vocabulary, the sentence logic, or the equivalence requirement.
