Get Verba
← Language Snacks

Digital SAT Vocabulary Quiz: 15 Words in Context

SAT quiz · Verba Editorial ·

This 15-question quiz practices precise word choice in context. Predict the missing meaning before opening the answer.

Give yourself about thirty seconds per question. Read the whole sentence, say a plain-language prediction, and choose the option that matches both meaning and tone.

Question 1

The second survey did not prove the claim, but it did _____ the first survey's finding.

  1. renounce
  2. corroborate
  3. circumvent
  4. disparage
Answer and explanation

B. corroborate. The second survey supplies supporting evidence.

Question 2

The committee adopted a _____ solution that could be implemented before winter.

  1. pragmatic
  2. impenetrable
  3. tranquil
  4. incongruous
Answer and explanation

A. pragmatic. The clue is the focus on an immediately workable solution.

Question 3

A narrow access road allowed trucks to _____ the damaged bridge.

  1. rectify
  2. interpret
  3. circumvent
  4. renounce
Answer and explanation

C. circumvent. The road lets the trucks go around an obstacle.

Question 4

Because the handwriting had faded, the final paragraph was nearly _____.

  1. mandatory
  2. indecipherable
  3. impartial
  4. undeniable
Answer and explanation

B. indecipherable. Faded writing can become impossible to read.

Question 5

The mediator remained _____ and gave each side equal time.

  1. compelling
  2. controversial
  3. impartial
  4. shrewd
Answer and explanation

C. impartial. Equal treatment signals an absence of favoritism.

Question 6

The editor asked the writer not to _____ the opposing view as foolish.

  1. disparage
  2. outstrip
  3. delegate
  4. rectify
Answer and explanation

A. disparage. The sentence warns against speaking dismissively.

Question 7

Demand continued to _____ supply throughout the summer.

  1. interpret
  2. outstrip
  3. disseminate
  4. stymie
Answer and explanation

B. outstrip. Demand exceeded the available supply.

Question 8

The quiet acoustic song felt _____ after the explosive opening number.

  1. resilient
  2. legitimate
  3. incongruous
  4. undeniable
Answer and explanation

C. incongruous. It seems out of place beside its surroundings.

Question 9

The agency created a public dashboard to _____ the data widely.

  1. renounce
  2. stymie
  3. disseminate
  4. delegate
Answer and explanation

C. disseminate. A public dashboard spreads information.

Question 10

The evidence was persuasive enough to make the conclusion _____.

  1. compelling
  2. imperceptible
  3. mandatory
  4. tranquil
Answer and explanation

A. compelling. Persuasive evidence makes a conclusion convincing.

Question 11

The new evidence forced the historian to _____ an earlier claim.

  1. renounce
  2. outstrip
  3. circumvent
  4. stymie
Answer and explanation

A. renounce. The historian gives up the claim.

Question 12

A missing variable could _____ the team's attempt to reproduce the result.

  1. rectify
  2. stymie
  3. interpret
  4. delegate
Answer and explanation

B. stymie. The missing variable obstructs progress.

Question 13

The difference was so small that it was almost _____.

  1. controversial
  2. imperceptible
  3. impenetrable
  4. pragmatic
Answer and explanation

B. imperceptible. The clue is 'so small' that it could not be noticed.

Question 14

The calm lake and muted sky gave the scene a _____ quality.

  1. tranquil
  2. mandatory
  3. shrewd
  4. resilient
Answer and explanation

A. tranquil. The scene is peaceful and still.

Question 15

The negotiator's _____ questions revealed a hidden cost in the contract.

  1. unassuming
  2. shrewd
  3. indecipherable
  4. impartial
Answer and explanation

B. shrewd. The questions show sharp practical judgment.

A missed answer is useful if you name the clue you overlooked. Review the exact contrast, cause, or degree that made the correct choice necessary.

Sources and further reading

  1. College Board, SAT content domains
  2. College Board, Student Question Bank
  3. College Board, official paper practice tests

Start with one word today.

Download on the App Store