Unit 3 Vocab Sentences

CBS had to _____ their showing of Schindler's List because the movie was far too long without commercials, but with the commercials it would be insane!

abridge

In order to fit the newspaper article into the space available, the editor had to ______ it by omitting secondary details.

abridge

It is the sacred duty of all Americans to oppose any attempt to ______ or deny the rights guaranteed to us in the Constitution.

abridge

Travel by air ______ the time needed to reach far-distant places

abridge

Before we could repaint the walls of our living room, we had to remove an ______ layer of wallpaper.

adherent

During a recent interdenominational service in our community center, the ______ of various faiths met to worship as one.

adherent

The captain needed each _____ to test their loyalty by writing a ten-page essay on why she was so gr-r-r-r-reat!

adherent

The senator's loyal ______ campaigned long and hard for her reelection.

adherent

One can't become a good writer just by ______ closely to rules laid down in standard grammar books.

adhering

A noisy ______ in the next apartment kept me awake for.

altercation

After some light bickering, a(n) _____ broke out between the people who were a little bit country and the people who were a little but rock and roll

altercation

Although I am not a particularly argumentative person, last week I found myself involved in a heated ______ with a salesclerk.

altercation

What began as a minor quarrel grew into a serious ______ and then an ugly brawl.

altercation

"That child May have an angel's ______ features, but at heart he is a little demon," I exclaimed in disgust.

cherubic

How well those photographs of the month-old twins capture the ______ expressions on their faces!

cherubic

Their ______ faces and other worldly voices almost made me believe that the music they were singing was coming from an ethereal.

cherubic

the baby looked so _____ that Anne Geddes decided to snap some cute pictures of it with angel wings.

cherubic

"I am willingly to wink at the harmless prank," the dean remarked, "but I will not ______ outright vandalism."

condone

I do not entirely ______ your misconduct, but I can understand, to a degree, why you behaved as you did.

condone

I have no idea why some teachers _____ terrible behavior from popular girls, unless they're overlooking it to become part of their clique.

condone

Our parents have always made it crystal clear to us that they do not ______ rude behavior.

condone

A few of us who disagreed strongly with the committee's conclusions felt compelled to raise our voices in ______.

dissent

In a dictatorship, people who ______ from the official part line usually wind up in prison - or worse.

dissent

Justice have an option to ______ from a ruling issued by a majority of the Supreme Court

dissent

Some people give voice to their ______ on issues of public policy by writing letters to newspapers.

dissent

There was a lot of _____ between two groups as to whether they should believe Noah about this flood business.

dissent

A group of ______ scientists met to discuss long-term changes in Earth's climate.

eminent

After so many years of distinguished service in the United States Senate, he can properly be called a(n) ______ statesman.

eminent

I am very much flattered that you have referred to me as "an ______ educator," but I prefer to think of myself as just a good teacher.

eminent

The inventor of the slide whistle isn't as _____ as the inventor of the light bulb, because Thomas Edison is known by everyone

eminent

Emily Rose was possessed by the devil, so the priest had to _____ the demon from her body.

exorcise

In this clever spoof of horror movies, the local witch doctor encounters hilarious difficulties when he tries to ______ a demon that has taken up residence in the heroine's body.

exorcise

The comforting presence of relatives did much to ______ the patient's feelings of alarm at the thought of undergoing major surgery.

exorcise

We must do all we can do ______ the evils of hatred and prejudice from our society.

exorcise

You had no right to ______ for yourself the role of gracious host at my party.

exorcise

My cousin has so much imagination that he can ______ an excuse that even an experienced principal would believe!

fabricate

Some crazies believe NASA had to _____ the moon landing because they didn't have the technology to fly a man to the moon in the sixties.

fabricate

Threads from the cocoons of caterpillars called silkworms are used to ______ silk.

fabricate

It is a real tribute to the ingenuity of the human mind that for thousands of years people have been ______ new and interesting theories of the universe.

fabricating

If you ever saw how vigorously my dog attacks his food, practically inhaling you, you would understand why I accuse him of ______.

gluttony

In the Middle Ages, ______ was considered one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

gluttony

In the movies, characters who engage in ______ are often used for comic relief, but in real-life extreme overeating is a serious problem.

gluttony

"I think," said the salesclerk, "that the phrase 'hot under the collar' aptly describes the typical ______ customer we have to deal with.

irate

I was _____ when I ordered a double-shot raspberry soy latte at Starbucks, but they gave me a double-shot strawberry soy latte.

irate

Long delays caused by bad weather are likely to make even the most unflappable traveler ______.

irate

The fact that many citizens are ______ over the new taxes does not mean that these taxes are unjustifiable.

irate

Edger Allan Poe's story "the Gold Bug" concerns treasure buried by the ______ Captain Kidd.

marauder

The pirate was a dedicated _____, always looking for a weak unguarded ship to rob.

marauder

Bands of ______ broke through the frontier defenses of the province and began to plunder the rich farmlands of the interior.

marauders

the robber barons of an earlier era often acted more like ______ than ethical businessmen in their dealings with the public.

marauders

I feel like a ______ now that my part-time job has come to an end and I no longer have any spending money.

pauper

The _____ asked for handouts on the streets of the city to get a good meal.

pauper

Although they have enough money to live on, the loss of most of their great wealth has left them feeling like ______.

paupers

During the Great Depression, many people were reduced to leading the desperate lives of ______.

paupers

An employee who ______ from the petty cash box will be caught sooner or later.

pilfer

Angered at the oppressive corporation, Tommy decided to _____ office supplies in an attempt to "Stick it to the man."

pilfer

No one but a heartless scoundrel would ______ nickles and dimes form a charity's collection fund

pilfer

Like all literary sneak thieves, he has a truly nasty habit of ______ other people's ideas and then claiming them as his own.

pilfering

As the layer of clouds that hung over the city began to break up, the sun came pouring through the ______.

rift

Failure to repay a loan can be the cause of an angry ______ between longtime friends.

rift

We were going to climb in to the _____ in the rocks until we heard a noise that sounded like an animal

rift

Unless we repair the ______ in our part and present a united front, we will go down in crushing defeat in the upcoming election.

rifts

The few words that she grudgingly muttered were the only ______ of an apology that she offered for her rude behavior.

sembalance

Despite a bad case of stage fright, I tried to maintain a ______ of calm as I sang my solo.

semblance

Though I was hurt by the tactless comment, I tried to show pleasure in it by twisting my lips into a feeble ______ of a smile.

semblance

While he was lying about breaking the window, he hoped he had a _____ of honesty on his face.

semblance

The fact that Abraham Lincoln was able to ______ the handicap of a limited education does not mean that you should quit school.

sumount

It is only through the excise of their intelligence that people begin to ______ the difficulties they encounter in daily living.

surmount

The little mouse had to _____ his fears to run past the cat while he was sleeping, but he accidentally tripped over the cat's tail.

surmount

Wilma Rudolph ______ childhood illness and physical disabilities to win three Olympic gold medals.

surmount

Either party has the right to ______ the agreement that has been made whenever the partnership proves unprofitable.

terminate

I'm sorry, but if you don't sell a car by 3:00 p.m. we'll be forced to _____ your employment at "Joe's We'll Sell You a Car or Get Fired Automobile Emporium"

terminate

If you fail to perform your job satisfactory, your boss may ______ your employment.

terminate

The only way I could ______ the argument peacefully was to walk away abruptly

terminate

A screenplay or television drama with the same old boy-meets-girl plot can certainly be criticized as ______.

trite

He was such a walking dictionary of _____ remarks, I'm not sure he had an original thought in his head.

trite

His speech was so ______ that one could almost anticipate the phrases he would use next.

trite

When you write an essay or a story, be especially careful to avoid using ______ expressions.

trite

When the celebrity transferred to our school, he was the one to _____ my title of the coolest guy in school

usurp

the general who led the coup ______ the offic of the duly elected president.

usurp

After driving the lawful ruler out of the country for good, the villainous duke ______ the throne and crowned himself king.

usurped