Spell Bowl 2018 practice

comeuppance

Mack received his ______________ when the new student delivered a speech that told the true history of Mack's conniving family.

sensitivity

Madison admired Michael's ________________ as much as his courage.

unsightly

My grandmother declared my bedroom an _______________ mess and insisted I clean it immediately.

beautiful

My grandmother had brought me a ______________ piece of Venetian glass as a memento of her European tour.

scrapbook

My grandmother kept a ________________ of my athletic career and gave it to me when I graduated from college.

seventeen

My grandparents have five children and ________________ grandchildren.

orthography

My great-grandfather paid a tutor to instruct his children, including my grandmother, in ________________ so that their handwriting had the artistry of calligraphy.

ostler

My great-great-grandfather worked as an ___________ for the transcontinental railroad.

underline

My instructor tends to _______________ key terms by adding an extra stress when he says them.

solvable

My math teacher says all problems are ______________ once we understand the math we must apply.

suitable

My mom said that flip-flops were not ______________ footwear for school.

clover

My uncle worked hard to keep his lawn free of ___________.

segregate

Once he was convicted and sentenced, no effort was made to ________________ the former lawman from the general population of the prison.

whaling

Once the ___________ capital of the world, Nantucket Island is now a fashionable summer resort.

consistency

The ______________ of the substance helped investigators to distinguish it from other compounds of similar appearance.

annunciator

The ______________ panel on a standard commercial aircraft, which is the central indicator of the status of all onboard equipment and systems, often includes an audible signal to draw the flight crew's attention.

polygonal

The ______________ pieces could actually fit together to make a picture.

Penates

The _______________ were gods worshipped by the family within a household in close connection with Vesta, the goddess of the hearth.

polarization

The ________________ of the American electorate has never been clearer than in the days leading up to and immediately following the Presidential election of 2016.

ramifying

The _________________ effect of cable television as it creates ever smaller sets of viewers means fewer and fewer people have shared a viewing experience.

reparative

The _________________ efforts made by my brothers got our furnace working again.

complainant

The _________________ in the case asserts that the corporation for which she works has a systematic policy of limiting opportunities for advancement in the case of female employees.

surrealistic

The __________________ nature of the dream made me feel as though I were living in a painting by Salvador Dali.

unexampled

The ____________________ generosity of my dad's boss at Christmas reminded all of us of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge.

resplendence

The _____________________ of the queen in her full coronation regalia impressed the entire court.

venturesome

The _____________________ polar explorers took their lives into their own hands early in the twentieth century.

coloratura

The accomplished _____________, Diana Damrau, is regarded as one of the best sopranos singing today.

plenitudinous

The actor's __________________ frame made him the perfect choice for portraying Santa Claus.

simplify

The efficiency advisor suggested two changes that will greatly _____________ communication within the office.

presbytery

The errant priest was brought before the ___________________ to be questioned, judged, and --ultimately-- expelled from the church body.

pugilist

The first American heavyweight ____________ to win Olympic gold was Samuel Berger, the same year the U.S. took silver and bronze as well.

undefined

The new position in the company has as yet _______________ jurisdiction and authority.

pedal

The old woman's foot slipped from the brake to the accelerator ___________ causing her to drive directly into the store front at high speed.

perjuring

The omission of key facts and the euphemizing of others brought the witness closer and closer to ________________ himself.

realization

The opening of the second hospital in town was the __________________ of a long-term plan.

unskilled

The opportunities for ______________ laborers seems to diminish as technology takes over more workplace tasks.

arborvitae

The ornamental ________________ is a preferred food source for butterflies.

occlusion

The orthodontist said that braces could not correct the poor _________________ of my teeth.

speckle

The otherwise snow white cat has a ____________ of black on its left ear.

tubular

The outdoor patio chairs were made of a ___________ steel to combat the weather.

parabolic

The trajectory of a spacecraft escaping the Earth's gravitational pull is __________________.

alertly

The watchmen ___________ scanned the horizon and noticed a cloud of dust stirred up by a group on horseback.

radiotelephony

The widespread use of ______________________ has necessitated the building of cell phone towers.

chinchilla

The wild _______________ is on the verge of extinction due to illegal hunting of the animals highly prized for their soft pelts.

alibiing

The witness ___________ the accused explained how the two of them had been at a ballgame at the time of the murder and had been seen on the Jumbo Tron catching a foul ball.

revenge

The woman vowed to have ______________ on the employee who had sabotaged her small business.

criminality

Though she had served her sentence and gotten early parole for her good behavior, her ___________ haunted her for years, making it difficult to get the kind of work she had had before prison.

vincible

Though sometimes strong, my fears are all _____________.

pursuer

Though still unsure, Destiny suspected her ____________ might be the stranger she had encountered at the bus stop.

ascribable

Though the commander believed courage, ingenuity, and selflessness to be ________________ to my actions, I had, in fact, acted out of blind panic.

cruelty

Though the man's __________ was nearly unimaginable, his wife refused to leave him.

vibrating

Though the ringtone had been silenced, I heard my phone ______________ on the tabletop.

turboprop

Though the turbine engine that is a _________________ actually drives the propeller, its exhaust does not create sufficient thrust to propel the aircraft by that thrust alone.

onomatopoeia

Though the word is polysyllabic, the concept of _____________________ is an easy one both to teach and to learn.

corresponding

Though they had different titles, they held ________________ roles as chief education officer in their respective state governments.

temperament

Though they have a happy marriage, Dan has a gregarious ____________________ while Liz is more reticent.

sublimely

The ______________ melodic works of the Romantic composers never grow old or too familiar.

synopses

The ______________ of the books you have read should be concise, not a retelling of the entire story.

werewolf

Achieving his greatest fame in the Twilight series for playing the ______________ Jacob Black, Taylor Lautner also became the second highest paid teen actor during those films, eclipsed only by Daniel Radcliffe.

sinusitis

Acute ____________ typically starts with cold-like symptoms, including a runny nose and some pain, but it will last for as long as four weeks.

bimetallic

American coinage tends to be ____________ today rather than just silver (in dimes and quarters) or copper (in pennies).

thalamus

Among its other tasks, the _______________ regulates consciousness, sleep, and alertness.

sagamore

Among the Algonquian peoples, the ________________ was an elected, not a hereditary, leader.

statistician

An actuary is a _________________ who calculates risk for an insurance company.

parliamentarian

An expert on "Robert's Rules of Order", Rachel was the obvious choice for club ________________________.

xenophobe

An extreme ___________________, Kevin turned down a free two-week vacation in Europe.

unquote

Anna asked me to tell James: quote "I never want to see you again! _____________."

coalescing

As I listened to the scientists discuss their observations, I could perceive a theory _____________ from the contributions of each.

rapine

As the insurgents rolled into the village, the residents suffered displacement and unchecked ___________.

congregation

As the minister lifted his hands, the _____________- rose and bowed their heads in prayer.

perplexity

As the students read and re-read the essay question, their _________________ was evident in their confused looks and their scratching of their heads.

atmosphere

As the violence outside increased, the ______________ within the homes in the neighborhood became tense.

activation

As the war heated up, no one was surprised when the President ordered the ___________ of more reserve units.

surely

As we consider an expansion, last quarter's sales figures are __________ encouraging.

ubiquitous

As we trudged through the swampland, the _________________ mosquitoes assailed any exposed flesh on our bodies.

obsessive

At her doctor's suggestion, Kayla is seeing a therapist regarding her _____________ compulsive disorder which manifests itself in an array of repeated rituals throughout every day.

crescendo

At that point in the film when the violins began the long _____________, I knew something bad was about to happen.

uppermost

At the __________________ peaks in the range, snow covers the ground year round.

salute

At the age of ten, Emily decided to __________ her mother, a sergeant in the Marine Corps, each morning at breakfast.

washed-out

At the end of the lane, we saw the workers trudging toward us, __________________ from twelve hours of hard labor in the fields.

begrudge

Because Ethan had done most of the work in setting up the search, he did ___________ his cousin's winning the reward for finding the lost dog.

continent

Because Europe and Asia are not separated by a major body of water, some have regarded them as a single ______________ called Eurasia.

variant

Because Homer was a singer, not a writer, of poetry, the version of the Odyssey we have today derives from more than one ____________ text.

chummy

Because I am uncomfortable among strangers, the man in the seat next to me on the plane who talked throughout the flight was altogether too ______________ for my taste.

sauterne

Because I brought fried chicken to our picnic, I also brought along a bottle of _______________ in a cooler.

venial

Because Victoria's speed violation of five miles over the speed limit on a lonely stretch of Interstate-65 was a __________ violation, the officer let her off with a warning.

ascorbic acid

Because ________________ helps to prevent scurvy, ships have stocked citrus fruits - and today Vitamin C tablets - for sailors' health.

bridle

Because he has a way with horses, Austin was the first to place a __________ on the young colt.

busyness

Because her husband liked simple, modern design, she should not have been surprised when he complained about the _____________ of the highly cluttered arrangement of knickknacks and curios.

sanction

Because it has two meanings that are essentially opposite to one another, the word _____________ is called a contronym or an autoantonym.

biographic

Because it is based on personal journals and correspondences, the book presents a high level of ______________ accuracy.

brut

Because it is not at all sweet, having about a 1.5% sugar level, this champagne qualifies to be called ________.

cornflower

Because it originally grew as a weed in cornfields, the ______________ is in danger of disappearing.

creaky

Because of the ________ door, I was never able to sneak in without waking my parents.

cuspid

Because of the many cavities, the dentist was forced to extract Nathan's upper left __________.

prevaricator

Because she had proven herself a _____________________ in the past, I knew to believe only a fraction of what Brianna said.

seniority

Because she has _______________ at the company, Emily is in line for the promotion.

convince

Because she is so dedicated to an athletic life style, I believe Julia could ____________ anyone to take up a vigorous exercise routine.

placability

Because so many of their charges were very demanding, the nurses appreciated the _____________ of the patient in Room 1002.

calcimine

Because the original owners had used _____________ on the ceiling, when we tried to apply a water-based paint during our remodeling project, the plaster began to fall away.

singling

By ______________ out that particular set of statistics, Sarah focused her argument and won the debate.

amortizing

By ______________ repayment of the loan, the church was able to accomplish the necessary repairs and pay off their cost over a period of twenty years.

classifying

By ______________ the agent's report, the director intended to keep the information from the public.

unwitting

By allowing them passage into the courtyard, the doorman became an ______________ accomplice to their crimes.

caballero

By day the fictional hero called Zorro was a refined _____________, but by night he was a masked avenger of the oppressed peoples of colonial California, one of the inspirations for today's Batman.

abrogated

By failing to act on the contract, the board of directors had effectively _______________ their responsibilities.

rectify

By going over the bank statement, I was able to ____________ the errors in my own check register.

commanding

By her _______________ presence alone, Mrs. Brighton brought silence to the noisy classroom.

cogent

By the third revision, Tom's essay was highly detailed, clearly organized, and admirably ________.

reducing

By upping his daily exercise routine and _______________ his caloric intake, Jon aimed to lose weight and tone his body.

Australia

Canberra, not Melbourne or Sydney, is the capital of ______________.

buccaneer

Captain Jack Sparrow is not the first ________ to find fame in the movies, nor is he likely to be the last.

beautify

Carol joined a committee to help ______________ the main street of her small town with flowers, trees, and attractive new benches.

conspiracy

Cassius led a ____________ to assassinate Julius Caesar.

pustular

Caused by hormonal imbalance, the ______________ acne could be treated by addressing the imbalance.

typhoid

Caused by the ___________ bacillus, usually introduced with food or drink, typhoid fever can be prevented by proper sanitation and good hygiene though vaccination is also available.

servitude

Chattel ________________ was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

aeroplane

Chiefly found in British English today, ____________ was once a common word in America as well.

perverse

Chloe's _______________ inclination to ignore any restrictions or directions have me no choice but to fire her.

Calvary

Christian pilgrims revere _____________, the site where Christ was crucified.

tremolo

Claudio Monteverdi expressed the _____________ effect by using repeated sixteenth notes in a score.

croupier

Clearly unhappy about my winnings, the ____________ paid me my $25,000 prize.

sabbatical

During her __________________, the professor went to Italy and traced the wanderings of Dante after he was exiled from Florence.

oarsman

During his college years, Ethan was an ____________ on his school's competitive rowing team, in his senior year, went to the Olympics.

scull

During practice Chris broke the mounting for his left ________.

Scotland

Edinburgh, the capital of _______________, is the country's second largest city.

abbe

Elected to the office of ___________ after only twelve years as a monk, Francois served nearly six decades as the leader of the Benedictine brothers in Marseilles.

repartee

Eli was invited to all the best dinner parties because of his gift for entertaining _______________.

appalled

Elizabeth was _______________ to find the house of her childhood fallen into disrepair and now the habitat of raccoons and opossums.

absolution

Emily anticipated the freedom of a clean conscience as soon as she received _______________ from her parish priest.

styling

Emma has been ___________ the bridesmaids' hair all morning.

sarcoma

Even when viewed under a microscope, the rare ______________ of the fat cells, or liposarcoma, is hard to detect.

vigilant

Ever since several cars were broken into, the entire neighborhood has become far more ____________.

rosier

Ever since they won the lottery, they see the future as far ___________ than they ever would have imagined.

caricature

Every President has at least one ______________ of himself in the newspapers of his time.

sully

Every attempt to ________ the reputation of the candidate failed due to a lack of any evidence of wrongdoing.

biddable

Everything in the house, as well as the house itself, was _____________ during the auction.

specialization

Having watched her grandfather struggle with the problems of aging, about half way through medical school, Samantha decided to pursue a _____________________ in geriatrics.

stringy

I could hardly believe that the ___________ boy I remembered from middle school had grown into the college athlete I had just met again after all those years.

sample

I could not resist trying a ___________ of the baby Swiss cheese being offered in the supermarket.

preponderate

I have no doubt that the forensic evidence will ________________________ for the prosecution.

convincingly

I have seen trained speakers argue ______________ on both sides of the same issue at different times.

progenitor

Many see Socrates as the __________________ of Western philosophy even though philosophers existed before him.

outre

Many were attracted to the ____________ behavior of the popular artist who would come to a gala dressed in cast-offs from Good Will or open a single-serving container of applesauce at a formal dinner.

apostate

Martin Scorsese's film Silence is a fictional account of a Catholic missionary to Japan who becomes an _____________ in response to the brutal backlash of the Japanese government to Christianity in the sixteenth century.

applicatory

Mastering the science of the geometric proof requires that students learn to identify the axioms, postulates, and definitions ________________ in each case.

buttress

Medieval engineers devised the flying ___________ to support the weight and height of monumental cathedrals.

billable

Megan had logged thousands of _____________ hours in pursuing her client's business dealings.

optimism

Megan's _____________ kept us going when it looked as though all our efforts to complete the float would fail.

pitiable

Megan's _____________ lack of coordination made her the worst goalie ever.

corps

Membership in the White House press ________ is the ambition of every national political journalist.

paddy

Men, women, and children worked in the rice ___________ in water above their ankles to tend the crop that provided the staple of their daily diet.

collate

Miss Meacham asked if I would ____________ the pages of the handout she wanted to distribute to the class.

proffer

My attorney advised me that she expected the district attorney to ____________ a plea deal during the upcoming meeting, but she advised me to turn it down.

carnivore

My aunt says her favorite _____________ is Uncle Bill.

reprehend

My aunt seems to find a reason to _________________ me for my appearance every time I see her.

reprisal

My brother hid my car keys in _____________ for my taking his new athletic shoes without asking.

Yule log

My brothers and I helped our father bring the ________________ into the house to place in our oversized fireplace as we had done for years.

reconsideration

My careful ________________________ of the proposal allowed me to grasp details I had not fully appreciated at first.

Syracuse

My cousin and his new wife moved to _______________ where they both had job offers.

sufferance

My cousins never let me forget that I was swimming in their people by their __________________.

piscatorial

My dad and I indulged our _____________ passion as often as we had time to steal away from work.

cradle

My dad built a doll _________ as a Christmas gift for my sister and as a way of letting all of us know that our mother was expecting another baby.

reliance

My dad said I would have to earn the money to maintain the car without _____________ on him to cover any shortfall.

obscure

My editor said that the allusions in my first book were too ____________ for contemporary readers to grasp without footnotes.

compensating

My employer planned on ________________ me for overtime by giving me additional paid time off rather than the extra money I needed.

acreage

My father planted the total ____________ of his farm in corn, soybeans, wheat, and oats except for two small fields that he used for hay.

tithe

My father, a devout and successful man, believed he had an obligation to give a ________ of all his income to the work of his church and its missions.

contraption

My father-in-law created another _______________ for making a simple task more complicated.

clinical

My father-in-law was lucky enough to be placed in a ___________ trial for a very expensive combination of immunotherapy drugs which proved to work significantly to reduce the melanoma under his eye.

odist

My favorite ___________ to teach is John Keats whose "Ode to a Grecian Urn" and " To Autumn" have a special place in my heart.

collie

My first pet was a female ____________ erroneously named Rex because I thought she was a male.

procured

My friends and I _______________ the necessary funds for our class project by asking merchants in our town to sponsor us.

originate

My friends did not believe me when I told them that tennis did, in fact, ______________ in the late Middle Ages.

shortening

My grandma did not spare the _________________ when she baked homemade treats.

terra-cotta

My wife filled two large _________________ pots with a mix of summer flowers and placed them on either side of our front door.

podiatrist

My wife had to consult a _______________ who diagnosed her plantar fasciitis and had inserts made for her shoes.

pimento

My wife has learned to make a ______________ cheese sandwich like those her grandfather used to make for her when she was a little girl.

Tennessee

Nashville, the capital of ___________________, is the center of country music in America.

chocolatier

Natalie, the daughter of a _________________, fell in love with Kevin not long after he made her homemade candy that reminded her of her childhood in her mother's shop.

chiropractor

Nathan had worked as a professional ________________ for twelve years before he took on a partner.

rhea

Native only to South America, the _______ occupies grasslands and pampas.

buoyant

Nelson's _____________ personality brightens the office whenever he enters.

speciality

Nephrology is the ______________ that deals with kidney function and disease.

adventuresome

Never an _______________ traveler, Nicholas stayed with the tour guide rather than explore Paris on his own.

appease

Neville Chamberlin sought to ______________ Hitler by allowing the chancellor to annex the Sudetenland in order to achieve "peace in our time"; he failed.

requiring

New laws ________________ voters to have picture IDs have been controversial.

Copernicus

Nicolaus ______________ lived from 1473 to 1543 and revolutionized the way people understood the movements of the Earth and the planets.

constituent

Nicole attempted to replicate the recipe by identifying the _____________ ingredients by taste alone.

carnivorous

No matter how creatively Morgan prepared vegetable dishes, Logan remained _______________, always preferring meat.

shrugging

No matter how hard Chris was hit, he rose, instantly _________________ off the pain, and got back into the game.

paperback

No matter where Destiny goes, she always carries a __________________ in her purse so that if she finds herself waiting, she can read.

commensuration

No one doubted the __________________ of the data, but many disagreed about what it meant.

blazing

None of us had ever witnessed a performance of a Shakespeare play by actors of such ___________ ferocity, perfect for the Bard's most violent play, Titus Andronicus.

royalist

Not a ____________ by nature, the new prime minister was a bit uncomfortable at his first meeting with the queen.

printable

Not all the details of the barbaric mass murder were ________________ even for today's jaded public.

roster

Not all the students on the ____________ for my first hour class showed up on the first day of school.

city-state

Not at all like a modern nation, the _____________ of Athens existed as a small, independent portion of ancient Greece.

sycophant

Our boss wanted honest feedback and logical suggestions, not the constant agreement and false praise of a _________________.

resplendent

Our flowerbeds ____________________ with spring blossoms, our houses were ready for the spring home tour.

predispose

Our genes _________________ us to certain illnesses.

confute

Our side chose Cameron to ___________ the proposal put forth by the opposition.

allegorize

Our teacher taught us to _____________ the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter.

scheduled

Our wedding is _________________ for the first Saturday after the end of the school year.

complaint

Rarely does a day pass that Mrs. Soder stops by the principal's office without a ________________ about one teacher or another.

osmotic

Rarely studying though nevertheless achieving high grades, Destiny must have benefited from some kind of _____________ learning process.

swelling

Rather than ease up, the _____________ of the patient's ankles had actually increased.

unbeliever

Rather than shun him, the church reached out to the ________________ with support and assistance in his time of need.

transcription

Recording devices may eventually handle _____________________ needs in all courts.

sesame

Research has shown that eating _____________ can have a small influence on the lowering of blood pressure.

cannonade

Residents of Washington, DC, could hear the ______________ fired by Confederate gunners.

trillium

Rhododendrons, ____________, and other woodland plants lined the walkway through the park grounds.

cerebral

Robert's ___________ approach to their relationship allowed Chloe little of the romance she hoped for in their marriage.

swami

So great was her expertise regarding the world of investing, that many came to her seeking guidance as they might consult a __________.

windshield

So many insects had splatted against my _________________ as I drove through the country, I could hardly see clearly by the time I reached my destination.

therapeutically

Some substances that are poisonous in certain doses may also be used _______________________ in smaller doses or in combination with other pharmaceuticals.

photogenic

Some thought she made a better candidate because she was more __________________ than her nearest competitor.

quadrant

Starting with the first _______________, the upper right on a Cartesian graph, each region is numbered I through IV in counterclockwise order.

preoccupancy

Steven was charged a ____________________ fee in order to move into the apartment earlier than his lease stated.

apocalyptic

Such ______________ films as The Day After Tomorrow and The Book of Eli have long been a popular movie genre.

unbecoming

Such coarse language at such a formal occasion is at the very least ___________________, though some might call it offensive.

stoic

Supposedly the most _______ character created for science fiction, Mr. Spock nevertheless cried and laughed in different episodes.

perihelion

The Earth was at ________________ on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at 12:34 PM.

podgy

The _________ merchant bustled down the London street as though he owned the world.

cowling

The __________ developed in 1927 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was a significant step forward in reducing drag, thereby significantly reducing fuel consumption.

bronze

The __________ fixtures gave the remodeled bathroom a classical look.

pygmy

The __________ hippo is only about a quarter of the size of an adult hippopotamus.

stoical

The __________ laborer endured the harshness of the mines and of his employer, never protesting or exhibiting even a glint of frustration or resentment.

brotherliness

The __________ of the men of Lambda Chi Alpha was genuine and survived their college experience.

briary

The __________ rose bush exhibited beautiful flowers but posed the danger of tiny stab wounds.

spinal

The __________ structure of the skeleton suggested it had belonged to a primate of some now extinct species.

orchid

The __________, of one species or another, is the national flower of seven Latin American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and Panama.

cultured

The ___________ bacteria made available by the patient's blood sample pointed to a very dangerous infection.

sublime

The ___________ beauty of Milton's Paradise Lost captured my imagination from my very first reading of the great epic.

volute

The ___________ capital of an Ionic column displays the artistry of ancient builders.

starkly

The ___________ furnished interior had only one chair, a cot, and a small writing desk.

woven

The ___________ mats on our porch are from Guam.

cyclical

The ___________ nature of fashion means that what was once old-fashioned is now stylish.

plaudit

The ___________ of her beloved husband in response to her performance in "Aida" meant more to her than the ovation given her by the audience as a whole.

crescent

The ___________ on their flag indicated they represented an Islamic nation.

audible

The ___________ operation of the clock made it impossible for me to sleep.

castellated

The ___________ rooftops of the centuries-old manor house recalled a less peaceful time in the region.

owlet

The ___________ sat inside a hole in the side of the tree, awaiting its mother's return.

acrid

The ___________ smoke burned our eyes and noses even though the fire was two miles away.

violent

The ___________ winds of Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and much of the Virgin Islands.

aviation

The ____________ industry in America started with the Wright Brothers.

silicate

The ____________ minerals constitute about ninety percent of the Earth's crust.

avarice

The ____________ of Ebenezer Scrooge has become a part of the English-speaking world's cultural consciousness.

accrual

The ____________ of Matthew's wealth had involved the slow and steady acquisition of small companies managed by his keen insight into market demands.

atrocity

The ____________ of modern warfare exterminated the Victorian sensibilities of the young Englishmen in the trenches of World War I.

alkalinity

The ____________ of sodium hydroxide or "caustic soda" ranks among the highest along with that of potassium hydroxide and lye.

arrival

The ____________ of the Amazon shipment came just in time to wrap for Christmas the next day.

pliancy

The ____________ of the crowd made it easy for the mayor to convince them of anything.

Apache

The ____________ peoples are related historically and linguistically to the Navaho.

palate

The ____________ plays an important role in forming many speech sounds.

pylorus

The ____________ regulates the passage of food from the stomach to the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine.

barbaric

The ____________ rituals horrified the young Victorian women who had never imagined life beyond their country homes.

striated

The ____________ rock face demonstrated the sedimentary build-up over millennia.

clinician

The ____________ with whom I worked as an intern had twenty-four years of experience of which I worked to take full advantage.

rococo

The _____________ decorations suggested wealth and a taste for the eighteenth century.

counterfeit

The _____________ money was being passed along to customers by means of the cooperation of a fast food restaurant owned by the forger's brother.

plasticity

The _____________ of the medium made it ideal for teaching children how to sculpt.

causation

The _____________ of the phenomenon continues to elude investigators.

puniness

The _____________ of their excuses for being late caused the principal to laugh out loud.

prolific

The _____________ orchards have produced a bumper crop of apples and pears this season.

vibratile

The _____________ potential of the new alloy makes it perfect for making organ pipes.

opposing

The ______________ armies finally met on the field of battle.

orangutan

The ______________ became the first non-human being to be recognized as possessing legal rights when an Argentine court ruled that an _____________ in the Buenos Aires Zoo had to be moved to a Brazilian sanctuary to provide the animal " partial or controlled freedom."

barred

The ______________ clouds broke up the sunlight of the autumn afternoon.

catastrophic

The ______________ failure of the central power generators resulted in a blackout across several states.

resistor

The ______________ functions as a means of reducing current flow, dividing voltages, and many other operations.

palatial

The ______________ home of Bruce Wayne sits atop the technological wonders and criminological labs of the Batcave.

residual

The ______________ money left after paying our expenses is profit.

purchaser

The ______________ needs to know that all sales in this shop are final, allowing for no returns.

buoyancy

The ______________ of Styrofoam makes it a common substance used in flotation devices.

redaction

The ______________ of all names from the document made it worthless to our investigation.

stiffening

The ______________ of my joints was only one symptom of my having overworked myself.

rotunda

The ______________ of the State House is modeled after its counterpart in the U.S. Capitol building.

accomplishment

The ______________ of the new policy will be finalized on July 1 when it goes into effect throughout the state.

pleading

The ______________ of the young woman for her husband to be spared from arrest fell on deaf ears.

calibration

The ______________ on the left side of the thermometer is in degrees Celsius and on the right in degrees Fahrenheit.

armistice

The ______________ that ended World War I was for a long time celebrated in its own right but is now observed as Veterans Day.

Calvinist

The ______________ theology of the Puritans in New England is the root of the traditional American work ethic.

remedial

The ______________ therapy helped her to use her hand again after breaking her wrist.

aphoristic

The ______________ wisdom of Benjamin Franklin was once a staple of American literature books in high schools.

strapping

The ______________ young farm hand could throw bales of hay from the ground floor high into the mow of the barn.

capacious

The _______________ closet seemed more like an additional bedroom.

patchy

The _______________ fog made navigation difficult but not impossible.

contemptible

The _______________ fraud had ruined the lives of hundreds of people by cheating them out of their savings.

wreckage

The _______________ from the crashed plane stretched the length of two football fields.

polytheism

The _______________ of Hinduism includes the greatest number of gods worshipped among any of the great world religions.

rotundity

The _______________ of the baritone's voice dominated the performance.

bulkiness

The _______________ of the furniture made it difficult to lift and impossible to carry three flights up to Xander's apartment.

bellicosity

The _______________ of the protesters erupted in acts of violence against both property and people.

propeller

The _______________ of the small craft had become entangled in a fishing net.

shrillness

The _______________ of the teacher's voice made it hard for me to concentrate.

obliterative

The _______________ power of nuclear weapons is almost beyond comprehension.

circadian

The _______________ rhythm of the average human being predicts the highest level of alertness at 10:00 AM and fastest reaction time at 3:30 PM.

scrofulous

The ________________ Fagin had his hand in nearly every type of street crime in London.

articulative

The ________________ abilities of lips, tongue, and throat can produce far more sounds than are used in English alone.

occlusive

The ________________ build-up of plaque in the arteries is countered by cholesterol controlling medication.

prospector

The ________________ came into town with claims to have found a lode of silver.

sufferable

The ________________ indignities of unpopularity and loneliness gave way to acceptance and inclusion as I grew out of my adolescent awkwardness.

wolverine

The ________________ is the symbol of Michigan and the mascot of the University of Michigan.

traumatic

The ________________ loss of both parents in a single violent crime changed Bruce Wayne forever.

sogginess

The ________________ of his clothes despite having carried in an umbrella testified to the torrential nature of the downpour.

restoration

The ________________ of the Sistine Chapel murals took longer than their original painting by Michelangelo.

peduncle

The ________________ of the agave pictured is not yet showing flowers, but branches are visible.

undulation

The ________________ of the waves hitting the seashore has an almost hypnotic effect.

resistless

The ________________ power of the music had us all dancing almost as soon as the band began to play.

associative

The ________________ property may be illustrated by (a + b) + c = a + (b+ c).

spiracular

The ________________ structures in this insect serve the same function as lungs in mammals.

perforator

The _________________ automatically pierces the metal in an established pattern before the sheet moves forward for the next step in the manufacturing process.

rhinoceros

The _________________ is an endangered species.

photoflash

The _________________ left me nearly blinded for a few seconds.

pulpiness

The _________________ of apricot appeals to many people.

assumption

The _________________ of love is insufficient when no demonstrations of love appear.

proprietor

The _________________ of the restaurant asked us all to leave when our argument began to threaten violence.

penetrative

The _________________ questions asked by the interviewer revealed a side of the interviewee the public had never seen before the broadcast.

antiquated

The _________________ technology found in museums sometimes evokes ridicule among visitors who could not themselves begin to understand the technology of their own time.

stagnating

The _________________ water could quickly become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

phlegmatic

The __________________ Einstein responded to the publication of "100 Authors Against Einstein" with the quip, "If I were wrong, then one would have been enough!"

thermostat

The __________________ for our new furnace is completely digital and may be operated via an app on my phone.

squashiness

The __________________ of the bed pillows did not give me the comfort I had hoped for when I bought them.

retardation

The __________________ of the epidemic was accomplished by a coordinated and widespread vaccination program.

stuntedness

The __________________ of the trees was all the evidence we needed to establish that toxic waste was in the ground.

recreative

The __________________ pursuits of canoeing, hiking, and rock climbing paradoxically both fatigued and renewed me.

subsidization

The ___________________ of housing for those in poverty is a long-standing government program.

stupefaction

The ___________________ of the spectators who had witnessed such a daring aerial stunt was understandable.

periphrastic

The ____________________ expression "of the Earth" is somewhat more formal than the common possessive "Earth's".

perceptibility

The ____________________ of medical conditions has been significantly enhanced by computer-based technologies.

popularization

The ____________________ of social media has changed the world.

segmentation

The ____________________ of the original property has occurred over generations as successive heirs divided their portions into smaller ones to pass on to their children.

razzle-dazzle

The ____________________ of the speech did not mean that everyone immediately agreed with the speaker though most were impressed with her skill.

prototypical

The _____________________ "A" student, Olivia excels not only in the classroom but also on the musical stage.

solemnization

The _____________________ of Dan and Beth's wedding evoked an attitude of awe and deep respect in the guests.

prestidigitator

The ______________________ had the fastest and most dexterous hands I have ever seen.

pharmaceutical

The _________________________ industry is one of the most prosperous in today's economy.

piece de resistance

The ___________________________ of the celebration of America's centennial was the Statue of Liberty, even though it did not arrive until 1886.

torsion

The acrobat went far beyond the expected capacity for ___________ of the human body.

bismuth

The active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol is ____________ which also appears in medications for treating peptic ulcers, eye infections, and other health problems.

yurt

The adventurous young couple committed to live for a year in a _______ built in a woodland on the wife's mother's land.

contagion

The air-borne _____________ spread through the population so rapidly, it was impossible to bring under control before thousands had perished from the disease.

ultimatum

The ambassador delivered his government's _______________ to the premier, assuring him that if he ignored it, all trade with his nation would end.

authorized

The ambassador was _______________ to negotiate a trade deal with Japan.

animalcule

The amoeba is, perhaps, the most well-known ________________.

transpire

The announcer is expected to describe the plays as they ______________ throughout the game.

catastrophe

The annoyance of our neighbors' setting off fireworks in their back yard turned into a _______________ when one of them went awry and set our garage on fire.

antiquating

The antiques dealer had a knack for taking a piece of relatively recent furniture and ______________ it to make it look old.

reliquary

The archbishop placed the lock of hair reputed to have come from the head of John the Baptist in a jeweled ________________ housed in a side chapel of the cathedral.

rectilinear

The architect had completely broken free of the traditional _________________ design of skyscrapers with his curving, spiraling construction.

seizure

The arrest was accompanied by ____________ of all holdings belonging to the man who had been accused of several counts of fraud and other illegal dealings.

penning

The art of ______________ a letter has almost disappeared in the era of electronic communication.

posing

The art teacher had the live model ___________ as a Greek Roman senator.

trompe l'oeil

The artist has painted ___________________ images for private homes and public buildings.

terrorize

The attempts to _______________ the population resulted, instead, in increased defiance of the would-be conquerors.

psychotic

The attorney argued that her client had committed the murder while in the throes of a ______________ break.

refutable

The attorney assumed that anything the witness said would be ______________.

preface

The author's ____________ outlined the evolution of Arthurian legend over the centuries which he would detail in the main body of the book.

ruching

The available _____________ was all a fine netting.

bassinet

The baby's ___________ had been in the family for four generations, having been used by dozens of children.

bacchanalia

The bachelor party was more ______________ than celebration.

troupe

The ballet _____________ listened to the choreographer explain the feeling she wanted to convey for the show.

yeoman

The captain called for his _____________ to retrieve the papers he would need for his conference with the ambassador.

bridging

The carpenter could never have completed the roof work without the clever _____________ he designed to compensate for working alone.

onlooker

The casual _______________, though present at the scene of a crime, does not, as some believe, make a reliable witness.

ranged

The cattle ____________ the full expanse of the valley, but the entire herd stayed together as they wandered.

sieve

The chef uses a ________ that resembles a ladle to remove small drops of batter during the frying of tempura shrimp.

pastille

The chewable _______________ is the descendant of the original compression of herbs that were burned so that the patient might inhale the fumes.

prelate

The chief ___________ of the diocese, Bishop Sutter, will preside over the dedication of the new cathedral.

unthinking

The child's __________________ comments broke her mother's heart.

undulate

The circle of flags outside the building _______________ in the afternoon breeze.

purity

The city monitors the __________ of our drinking water throughout the year.

Boston

The city of ____________ was originally founded on September 7, 1630, the same year as the Massachusetts Bay Colony was established.

signification

The class spent the better part of one period debating the __________________ of the green light in The Great Gatsby.

topsy-turvy

The classroom went _________________ at the very moment the teacher stepped into the hallway.

royally

The colonial assembly shared power with a ___________ appointed governor.

passion

The commencement speaker urged each of us graduates to find our _______________ and pursue it as our life's work.

approved

The committee _______________ my application, paving the way for my participation in the privately funded expedition to Mars.

thorough

The committee delivered a final report noteworthy for its _______________ attention to detail.

splendidly

The committee had ________________ decorated the gym, transforming it into a magical place for the fall dance.

organically

The company has grown ________________ from its original manufacturing purpose to include transportation and distribution arms as well as retail outlets.

attrition

The company hoped to reduce its number of employees through ___________ rather than through lay-offs.

productivity

The company's ___________________ increased by 8% in the first year under new leadership.

victimize

The conman will continue to ________________ older residents if we do not help all of them understand how to avoid his scheme.

oxyacetylene

The construction worker used an _____________________ torch as he worked on the frame structure of the building.

ombudsman

The corporation employed an ombudsman to prevent major labor problems from arising.

quaintly

The couple had ______________ furnished the old farmhouse with authentic nineteenth-century antiques, making it look as it had when the husband's great-grandfather had first built the home.

shriek

The creaking of the house was scary enough, but when the birds began to __________, I was terrified.

prefigure

The crocus and the daffodil ______________ the arrival of spring.

tumult

The crowd escaped the unexpected ___________ of chaos when a fire broke out at the venue.

tepid

The crowd's _________ response to the speaker indicated she had not succeeded in getting her point across well enough.

tobacco

The cultivation of ______________ has been dated as far back as 1400 BC in Mexico.

patchwork

The curriculum proposal at first appeared to be a __________________ of unrelated poems from different periods, but closer examination revealed that the poems illustrated the evolution of Western prosody or poetic techniques.

submitting

The deadline for ________________ an essay to the scholarship contest ended a day before I finished mine.

corruption

The deep _____________ at of government in that state has become a byword for bad government in the nation.

scholarly

The design of her home library reflected her ________________ pursuits, from the ceiling to floor bookcases to the massive writing desk piled with references.

ritualistic

The detective determined that the murderer had repeated the same _______________ approach to this victim as he or she had to three others.

postmark

The detective traced the suspect by identifying the _____________ that led to the station where the threatening letter had been mailed.

redintegrate

The detectives asked the computer technician if she could ______________________ the deleted files on the suspect's computer.

sideburns

The distinctive pointed ________________ of the male characters among the crew of the U.S.S.Enterprise seemed to be a small attempt to distinguish them from twentieth-century viewers.

perversion

The district attorney regarded the judge's clearly biased rulings as a _________________ of justice.

commonwealth

The diverse colonists had formed a __________________ that eventually sought independence from the power that claimed its territory.

referable

The doctor decided his patient's case was _______________ to one of three specialists.

paranoiac

The doctor diagnosed a ________________ condition and prescribed a regimen of talk therapy and medication.

omniscience

The doctrine of the _________________ of God is a foundational tenet in most Christian theologies.

spiral

The double ________, or helix, provides a model of the DNA molecule.

teasel

The dried flower head of the __________ was once used as a natural comb for cleaning, aligning, and raising the nap on fabrics, especially wool.

recklessly

The driver raced _________________ through the city streets, oblivious not only to other drivers but to pedestrians as well.

radial

The eight flowerbeds were arranged in a __________ pattern with the fountain at their center.

posturing

The electorate was not fooled by the ________________ of either candidate, recognizing both for the frauds they were.

obstruction

The emergency room doctor removed the ___________________ from the child's esophagus, allowing her to swallow once again.

torque

The engineer measured the ___________ of the axle and proceeded with corrections to increase efficiency.

tetanic

The escalating ___________ symptoms begin with lockjaw and proceed through facial spasms, neck stiffness, and difficulty swallowing, and conclude with rigidity of pectoral and calf muscles though some other symptoms may also occur.

parvenu

The established members of the country club dismissed Chris, the suddenly wealthy founder of a chain of diners, as a mere _________________ with few manners and little taste.

whippersnapper

The experienced farmers regarded with contempt the ________________________ who presumed to correct their opinions about the soil.

possum

The expression, "playing ____________," derives from that animal's habit of feigning death when in danger.

concealment

The family kept the Catholic priest in _______________ in a hidden room during the entire reign of the Puritan usurper Oliver Cromwell.

Belgian

The famous _____________ detective Hercule Poirot is the creation of Agatha Christie.

replete

The famous comedian's presentation to our college class came ___________ with some of his best new material.

palpability

The fear had a ____________________ to it that pervaded the crowd and the very air they breathed.

subsidize

The federal government's decision to ______________ farmers was and continues to be controversial.

sentimentality

The film was an utterly naturalistic treatment of the period, devoid of any _______________________ aimed at evoking sympathy.

obliteration

The fire at the ancient Library of Alexandria resulted in the _________________ of many significant works of ancient literature, history, and philosophy.

proximity

The fire inspector noted the ________________ of the boxes to the ceiling and ordered that they be rearranged in order to guarantee a space of at least eighteen inches.

astronaut

The first American _____________ to orbit the Earth was John Glenn on February 20, 1962.

sonic

The first _________ boom, created by pilot Chuck Yeager in 1947, must have amazed those who heard it.

quatrain

The first ____________ of an English sonnet follows an abab scheme while that of an Italian sonnet follows the abba pattern.

trilogy

The first book in the ___________ sets the course for the other two books in the series.

cottonwood

The floating _______________ seeds cause my wife respiratory distress along with her other allergies.

quadrate

The four dormitories surround a _______________ grassy courtyard where residents interact.

Yonkers

The fourth largest city in New York state, _____________ is actually an inner suburb of New York City.

riotous

The fraternity's ___________ parties had brought down the censure of the university as well as of their national headquarters.

speckling

The freckles _________________ his arm helped to identify the body of the sole victim of the explosion.

terrace

The gardens filled the hillside in a succession of one man-made ___________ after another.

augur

The gathering black clouds on the horizon do not _________ well for our picnic.

truistic

The general idea that human rights are derived from the dignity of the person is neither ____________ nor neutral.

suavity

The girls in our class seemed overly impressed by the ___________ of our British exchange student.

bullion

The gold at Fort Know is stored as ___________, not as gold coins as I used to imagine when I was a child.

renegotiate

The government demanded that the company ___________________ the terms of their contract when it discovered inconsistencies in costs.

cadre

The group of veteran teachers formed a ______________ charged with training their peers outside the English Department in evaluating compositions in other subjects.

agilely

The gymnast moved ____________ from one routine to another, demonstrating his mastery of the horse, the balance beam, the rings, and the floor exercise.

similarity

The high degree of _______________ between the two papers made the professor suspect plagiarism.

brainier

The highly athletic Rachel and the _______ Christian seemed an odd couple to their friends, but they found they had more in common than others imagined.

cataclysm

The historical of the _____________ Napoleonic Wars reconfigured Europe in ways that would not be surpassed until the era of the two world wars.

cerebrum

The human ____________, at 3.3 pounds, accounts for 85% of the average weight of the brain.

archducal

The immense manor house, once the _______________ residence, now served a museum of a former time.

cucumber

The ingredients you need are 10 medium tomatoes, half a ____________, half a green bell pepper, three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, cayenne pepper and minced garlic to taste.

bloat

The injury to his chest was allowing air to leak into his body, causing him to ___________.

opinion

The instructor observed that while a topic sentence may well be a subjective ___________, supporting details should be specific and concrete.

coherent

The intense heat in the closet had turned the collection of candles into one ____________ mass.

prototype

The inventor brought his _______________ to potential investors, hoping to impress them with the first fully functional robotic servant.

rootlet

The ivy began to cling to the brick wall by one tiny ______________.

remitted

The judge _______________ the convict's sentence in light of new evidence.

compensation

The judge awarded the plaintiff $100,000 as ___________________ for pain and suffering as a result of the accident.

warrant

The judge issued a ____________ for the immediate arrest of the defendant when she failed to appear in court.

sequestration

The judge ordered the _____________________ of the jury throughout the entirety of the trial and forbade them to read newspapers, listen to the radio, watch television, or access the Internet.

verdict

The jury's ____________ finally came after nearly two weeks of deliberations.

ruche

The lace _________ collar and cuffs of the dress were made by nuns in Belgium.

tucker

The lace __________ in her dress was made by her grandmother.

productive

The land on the farm that had stood unused for decades proved to be surprisingly __________________, allowing us to turn a profit on the crops we grew the very first year.

proprietary

The landowner asserted his _________________ rights, limiting the public access to the water sources on his ranch.

tarsal

The largest of the seven articulating __________ bones is the calcaneus, the bone the bears weight within the heel of the foot.

staring

The last I saw of the jilted groom, he was ___________ blankly into the distance.

billboard

The last _____________ on that stretch of highway was removed as part of a beautification project.

rondo

The last movement of Bach's E major Violin Concerto and Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 21 are each in __________ form.

transcript

The lawyer requested a complete ______________ of the trial before taking his case to the appeals court.

tracery

The leaden ____________ designed to hold the stained glass pieces in place was as beautiful as the windows themselves.

orotund

The lector pronounced the day's readings with so ___________ a voice that not one of the brothers failed to follow every word or dared to fall asleep.

stifle

The lecture had gone on so long and the speaker was so dull that I could hardly __________ my yawns.

sacred

The library's collection of ___________ books was the largest in the country.

cynosure

The lighthouse once provided an unmistakable _____________ that guided passing ships and boats away from the rocky coast.

tribal

The linguist was there to study the ________ dialect variations in the Southwest speakers of the Sioux language.

cedilla

The little "tail" hanging from the letter "c" in the word façade is called a _____________.

vegetation

The local _________________ in this part of Africa varies dramatically from what I see regularly at home in Indiana.

constituency

The long-time senator's _______________ turned against him during the primary in his fifth run for a seat in Congress.

refrangible

The longer a wave of light is, the less _________________ it is.

trauma

The nearly fatal gunshot wound caused the victim physical as well as psychological _____________.

bacchanal

The neighbor reported the fraternity's annual picnic as a _____________ of lewd excesses.

regulatory

The newly appointed __________________ commission will oversee the operations of the pharmaceutical industry.

biretta

The newly appointed cardinal donned a red _____________ made of silk.

capitol

The newly formed state government set aside funds for building a _____________ as soon as the site was determined.

antacid

The next time I get that kind of stomach ache, I will know to take an ____________ immediately.

aspirator

The nurse applied an ___________ to remove mucus from the infant's nasal passage.

scarring

The nurse sympathetically explained that the injury would result in some ______________, but the young athlete actually liked that idea.

crash cart

The nursed wheeled a _____________ into the patient's room as soon as she heard the code.

webbing

The nylon ______________ allowed the movers to lift and carry furniture too heavy and awkward to move without such an aid.

prenatal

The obstetrician prescribed a regimen of ____________ vitamins following Grace's initial exam.

predetermination

The obvious _________________________ of the administration's decision made our input a joke.

ptarmigan

The official bird of the Nunavit, a Canadian territory, the ________________ is called a chicken in the U.S.

survival

The often used phrase "_____________ of the fittest" is an accurate though somewhat simplified expression of one of Darwin's central principles.

analgesic

The ointment the doctor gave Abigail was an _____________ to relieve the pain of the multiple bee stings.

bloomer

The painter known as Grandma Moses, a late __________ in the world of art, started painting at 78.

speculation

The panel was brought together to engage in ___________________ concerning the developments in medical technology over the next ten years.

abjection

The parade of scandals across all of the country's institutions testified to the general _______________ of its culture.

polluting

The parents accused the teacher of _____________ their children's minds with literature more appropriate for adults.

trammel

The parents protested that the new curriculum was designed more to _____________ creativity than to enhance learning.

conception

The park was Jonathan's ________________, but he could not have accomplished it without Justin's political persuasiveness and influence.

unimpeachable

The party rejoiced in the _________________________ background of their chosen candidate.

steerage

The passengers traveling in _____________ aboard the Titanic were the most at risk when the ship started to sink.

benediction

The pastor ended the service with a formal ____________________ to which the congregation responded "Amen!"

comatose

The patient lay _____________ in the ICU for nearly a month before he began to revive slowly.

pauperism

The people of Barbuda were reduced to _________________ by the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

popularize

The performer was able to _________________ her unique dance moves with a single hit video.

tripod

The photographer placed the camera on the ___________ to get the perfect shot.

corporeal

The pilgrim Dante retained his ____________ body as he traveled through the three realms of the after-life.

regeneracy

The pilgrim sought __________________ through prayer, fasting, and devotion to study with a repentant heart.

pertinent

The police officer had to keep reminding the driver to give only _________________ details, not opinions.

affray

The police were called to deal with the ___________ between the cousins whose argument had turned violent.

portico

The priest stood within the ____________ of the temple and addressed the suppliants seeking relief from the plague sent by Apollo.

obesity

The problem of ___________ manifests in chronic health problems.

cabalist

The professor was something of a ____________, steeped in the symbolism of medieval literature and an expert in the arcane philosophies of that era.

obstruct

The protestors gathering near the park had begun to spill over into the street where they would ___________ the flow of traffic.

retribution

The punishments in Dante's Inferno are designed according to the principle of contrapasso, or - in English - symbolic _________________.

tricuspid

The purpose of the heart's ______________ valve is to prevent back flow of blood into the right atrium.

consequently

The rain has fallen steadily for over a week; _________________, the streams and rivers have all overflown their banks and flooded the surrounding area.

clarified

The recipe called for ___________ butter in sautéing the delicate fish.

polytheistic

The religions of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome before the advent of Christianity were all _________________.

construed

The reporter correctly _____________ the newcomer's intentions to be altruistic, though most others concluded she had nefarious plans.

commission

The retired commander had framed the ____________ to his final posting in his home office after he retired.

arouse

The rhetoric intended to _________ the crowd to vote actually evoked a riot from which the candidate had to flee.

contrapuntal

The rise of _______________ music is traced to the era of the Renaissance.

sustainable

The rise of civilization depended on the development of _________________ agriculture.

basso

The role of the villain was sung by a __________ from Milan.

bandeau

The runner kept sweat from flowing down his face by wearing a brightly colored ______________.

reputably

The salesperson represented her company _________________, setting a high standard of quality for her company.

besmirch

The scandal will not only end her tenure in the Senate but will also ______________ her family name for some time to come.

palisade

The settlers' first order of business was to erect a _______________ around their encampment, a wall that would define the limits of their proposed town and provide protection from any threats.

candescence

The sheer _______________ of her mind gives her a charisma few professors may claim.

pentagon

The shield on the front of Superman's original movie costume is shaped like an irregular _________________.

spume

The ship cut through an unidentified mass of _________ floating on the surface.

soulfully

The singer, a talented actress as well as a gifted vocalist, gazed _____________ into the crowd, convincing many that she was singing directly to them.

spatially

The site is attractive but ______________ limited, too much so to accommodate two hundred guests.

Scranton

The sixth largest city in Pennsylvania, ________________ was once a booming industrial town but has revitalized itself into a cultural center.

potion

The sleeping ___________ had the desired effect, allowing the thieves to break into the house, take what they wanted, and leave with everything without anyone stirring.

coalescent

The slowly ______________ particles rapidly created a mass large enough to see without a microscope.

sanguinarily

The small squadron fought as ____________________ as a troop ten times its size and defeated the superior forces of their enemy.

rhinitis

The sniffles often accompany ____________ as symptomatic of the common cold.

secretory

The so-called master gland, the pituitary gland controls numerous other _________________ hormone glands.

benzene

The somewhat sweet odor of gasoline arises from ______________.

subjection

The soviet satellite countries were little more than puppet states under the ________________ of the USSR.

propellent

The space agency experimented with a new ___________________ for several months before dismissing it as too dangerous.

obscurely

The speaker used pronouns so _______________ that we were never sure who or what she was speaking about at any point in her address.

astonishing

The speaker's ________________ remark brought the audience to sudden silence as they marveled at her courage.

reflector

The special tape worked as _______________ worn by runners who wanted to be seen even when running at night.

ad infinitum

The spoiled young man's list of needs and wants increased _____________ with no hope of his ultimate satisfaction in sight.

caisson

The squad infiltrated the enemy encampment and stole a ______________ containing the enemy's only reserve of ammunition.

burnish

The staff will have to ____________ the ballroom floor to a high shine before this weekend's gala.

accretion

The stalagmites had formed over the centuries by the slow _____________ of limestone.

Ute

The state of Utah derives its name from the _______ peoples of the southwest.

catnap

The summer I taught both day and night classes, I tried to slip home in between to catch a bite to eat and take a ____________.

air-condition

The summer after our son was born was so hot and humid that we finally decided to ____________ our small home.

codicil

The suppressed ___________ was discovered to have divided the dead woman's estate among all three of her children, not just two of them.

pellagra

The symptoms of ________________ include inflamed skin, diarrhea, dementia, and sores in the mouth.

traduce

The tabloid seemed to have no other purpose than to ____________ the reputations of celebrities.

accusingly

The teacher looked ___________ in my direction when she heard a cell phone ring in the middle of class.

unruly

The teacher sent the _________ student to the principal for discipline.

plagiarism

The teacher warned us that _________________ of our papers would mean an automatic failure of the course.

articulator

The team of engineers had devised an _____________ that allowed a computer to sound like a human speaker.

tiltable

The telescope is designed so that it is ____________ to any degree necessary to observe the viewer's desired target, all guided by an app that directs the device electronically.

streaky

The temp's ___________ performance did nothing to earn her a permanent job.

symptomatic

The tension in the office proved to be ____________________ of the poor leadership coming from above.

politburo

The three most famous of the seven members of the original Bolshevik ______________ were Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin, two of whom became premier of the Soviet Union.

adulterous

The titular heroine of Madame Bovary is guilty of living an _______________ life.

porpoise

The true ____________ does not thrive, as does its cousin the dolphin, in captivity.

candescent

The two gazed dreamily into the ______________ coals of their campfire.

portiere

The two rooms of the tenement apartment were separated by a _____________.

catabolism

The ultimate function of _____________ is to provide energy necessary for maintaining and promoting growth of cells.

amelioration

The union sought the ______________ of working conditions after two years of preventable accidents.

syndic

The university employed a __________ to negotiate all interaction with suppliers of food, linens, and other daily needs.

commutate

The use of machines to _____________ current has declined because of the high maintenance requirements.

petrolatum

The uses of __________________ range from rust prevention to cosmetics, but it may be most popularly recognized by the brand name Vaseline.

redirect

The veteran teacher was able to ____________ the disrupted students' attention to the lesson at hand.

clamminess

The victim's ______________, confusion, and low blood pressure suggested he was in a state of shock.

tumultuous

The victorious team returned to a ___________________ celebration in which nearly the entire town was participating.

balconies

The view of the performers from the two _______________ was almost as a good as the view from the front rows.

bewitchment

The villagers saw your Eric's obsession with Esmeralda more as ________________ than love.

recollection

The witness now claimed to have no ___________________ of the events he had previously recounted to the police.

waveringly

The witness testified _________________, as though unsure of what she was saying.

savage

The younger members of the safari claimed not to fear the ____________ beasts, but the experienced hunters knew a little fear is a good thing.

prospective

Their ___________________ marriage has seemed apparent since their time as high school sweethearts, yet they both remain single, now in their late twenties.

self-esteem

Their mother and father's parenting which included both daily encouragement and personal responsibility had developed in all of them a healthy ___________________.

rootstock

These apples trees were grown by the _________________ method.

significant

Though I knew my boss was impressed with my work on the project, I was not expecting the ________________ raise I received.

pauperize

Though Jasmine had won the lottery, her failure to consult a financial planner or attorney matched with her extravagance managed to ________________ her within two years of receiving her winnings.

conjecture

Though Katherine admitted she had too little information to be certain, she was willing to __________________ that the final data would confirm the theory that the newly discovered planet would support life.

circumnavigate

Though Magellan was killed before completely his trip around the world, as captain he is credited with being the first to ________________ the Earth.

acceptable

Though Michael's performance at the audition was _____________, it did not win him the starring role he desired.

patronage

Though President Jackson did not start the practice of _________________ in Washington, D.C., he took it to new levels.

patrician

Though Sam was born into a working class family and Julia was a _______________, their marriage is a model for all of their friends.

abstainer

Though South Carolina and Pennsylvania opposed independence on July 1, 1776, the sole _______________was New York.

underling

Though Taylor told her parents she had an important job in the department where she had been recently hired, she was, in fact, merely an _______________, doing whatever varying job she was told to do.

styled

Though __________ a commodore for as long as anyone knew him, I don't believe he had ever actually served in the navy.

Cicero

Though __________ was an important politician of his day, his influence on language from his own time down to at least the nineteenth century is his most enduring legacy.

typhoon

Though a hurricane, a cyclone, and a _____________ are all circulating storms at sea with very high winds, the first describes storms in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific Oceans, the second storms in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the third storms in the Northwest Pacific.

palladium

Though a rare element, _________________ is used in such diverse applications as jewelry, dentistry, and electronics.

tempting

Though a second piece of chocolate layer cake was _______________, I knew better than to eat so much of the calorie-laden dessert.

unwilling

Though a supposedly _______________ participant in the plan, the driver of the getaway car was still put on trial for the robbery.

synonymy

Though all of related meanings, the ________________ of this list of terms does not go so far as to be identical in meaning.

simile

Though both figures achieve the same end, the _________ is explicit while the metaphor is implicit.

chunky

Though most of us remembered James as a ___________ kid who seemed always to have a candy bar in his hand, he appeared at our ten-year reunion looking like a model for Men's Health.

asparagus

Though my twin sister hates vegetables, I love them all, including _____________, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

per se

Though not a conservative _____________, Representative Michaels favors careful fiscal responsibility.

pimpernel

Though often planted as an ornamental, the common European ______________ is regarded as a weed.

proximate

Though she also found evidence of poisoning, the medical examiner determined a gunshot wound to be the _______________ cause of death.

scholar

Though she could barely read by the time he was ten, Hannah is now quite the ____________, having published her third book on political philosophy just this year.

pacified

Though she temporarily _______________ the children by offering them sweets, their calm was short-lived

valise

Though she was boarding a plane for Istanbul, the stranger carried only a __________ and had checked no other luggage.

Carborundum

Though silicon carbide occurs naturally, it is extremely rare, but it can be synthesized and sold under the name __________________.

Aristotelian

Though some challenge it today, ______________ logic is the foundation of the rise of science in the Western world.

universal

Though some disagree, my professor asserts that Shakespeare's plays address _______________ themes.

vigilante

Though some have called Batman a ______________, he does not take the law into his own hands.

aftereffect

Though the Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery in the United States, the continued oppression and mistreatment of African Americans was but one ______________ of the intolerable practice.

vagrant

Though the ___________ the police picked up just a few blocks from the crime scene had the victim's purse in his possession, no other evidence connected him to the brutal slaying.

Choctaw

Though the _____________ people fought on the American side in the Revolutionary War, years later they were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands.

answerable

Though the chairman has broad discretionary powers over day-to-day operations, he is ____________ to the board of directors for all of them.

appeasable

Though the child was given to tantrums, he was _______________ if the right bribe were offered to him.

adjuration

Though the governor's ______________ to evacuate before the hurricane hit land motivated most of the residents to leave, a handful of stalwarts ignored the official request.

tricycle

Though the race on such vehicles was Paul's idea, he appeared ridiculous on an adult ______________.

sycophancy

Though the rest of the office could clearly perceive Nate's __________________ for the ingratiating flattery that it was, their boss seemed to believe this "yes" man.

affidavit

Though the witness died before the trial, the prosecutor still had a signed _____________ written in the witness's own hand.

coherence

Though told in a non-linear manner, the ____________ of the narrative did not falter.

supernumerary

Though, generally, such a document signing requires only two witnesses, the old man had requested a third ______________________ signature.

compost

Three years ago we joined the city's efforts at regular recycling and started a _____________ heap in our back yard to deal with biodegradable vegetable matter, including grass clippings.

rejuvenation

Through hours of hard work and judicious spending, the couple had effected the _____________________ of the once grand home.

periscope

Through the ________________, the captain sighted the enemy cruiser and ordered torpedoes fired.

condense

To ____________ the play so that it would not run over two hours, Mr. Roberts said we would have to delete all or parts of some scenes without sacrificing the characterizations or themes.

plagiarist

To call Shakespeare a _________________ because he based a few of his plays on earlier works is hardly accurate, considering the inferiority of most of the works from which he borrowed.

sorceress

To continue their quest through the enchanted forest, the band of seekers had to consult the _______________ who ruled the domain and who, in fact, had first enchanted the forest.

banquet

We honored our favorite teachers at a _____________ co-sponsored by the student council and PTA.

standby

We keep this stock of provisions as a _____________ in case of emergency.

osmosis

We measured the solvent concentration of fluid on either side of the membrane to better understand ______________.

unoccupied

We took advantage of the ____________________ room to sit and talk about our own plans before going into the party.

origination

We traced the ________________ of the wheel to ancient Mesopotamia where it was first used by potters, not carters.

convalescent

We visited our ______________ friend right after her first round of physical therapy.

renowned

We were excited to learn that the _________________ actress, Meryl Streep, would be attending our school play.

byte

Werner Buchholz in credited with creating the computer term _________ more than sixty years ago.

retributive

Western civilization likes to believe that punishment is either deterrent or corrective, but most citizens probably see it as and want it to be __________________.

succulent

A ________________ roast sat on a platter in the middle of the table, flanked by bowls filled with four different vegetables and two baskets with an assortment of homemade rolls.

parachute

A __________________ works because the air that expands it during the descent creates resistance which reduces the velocity of the fall.

quick-witted

A ___________________ player, James adapted to his opponent's approach and mated him in fewer than twenty moves.

adjunctive

A stickler for correct grammar, our teacher required us to identify each adjective, adverb, prepositional phrase, and any other _____________ element in each sentence that we analyzed.

awning

A tattered cloth __________ over the stoop provided little protection from the pouring rain as I waited for the homeowner to answer my knock.

usury

A thirty percent interest charged on borrowing money is considered _________.

venality

A truly just system cannot tolerate ____________ in any branch or at any level of government.

particularize

When I asked him to list his investments, I didn't expect him to ____________________ so many or in such detail.

chamois

When I bought my first car, I washed it every Saturday, dried it with a ___________, and applied wax to the finish.

central

When I first moved to Indianapolis, I spent several weekends exploring the ___________ city.

chirrup

When I heard the robin ____________, I ran outdoors to see the first of his kind that spring.

piebald

When I saw the _____________ horse come wandering in without a rider, I knew that something must have happened to Chloe.

bimonthly

When I was informed that we would meet _______________, I had to ask whether that meant twice a month or once every second month.

waggle

When I was very young, I envied my cousin's ability to _____________ his ears.

telephone

When I was very young, my parents had a ________________ that used a crank instead of a dial, and now my cell phone has a touch screen instead of a dial.

realize

When I went over the hospital bills, I came to _____________ just how much I relied on my health insurance to pay the lion's share of the costs.

bibliomania

When I worked part time at a bookshop, my ________________ led me to spend more than half my paycheck on books.

amnesia

When Joseph finally woke from the coma, his nurse soon discovered he suffered ____________.

Chinese

When Kaitlyn said she could speak ____________, she meant that she could speak Mandarin, not Cantonese.

concrete

When Mr. McGowan asked for _____________ details in our essays, he meant to use real examples, not subjective opinions.

soliloquize

When Shakespeare's characters, like Iago, ____________________, they are revealing the truth to the audience which they often conceal from the other characters.

a posteriori

When Sheila saw Bob showing a big diamond ring to Larry and knowing Bob intended to marry Joan, Sheila made the ___________________ conclusion that Bob was going to propose even though the ring was actually for his sister's wedding.

teethe

When a baby begins to ____________, the parents may have to adapt to a new level of fussiness as the infant deals with the necessary pain of the process.

attiring

When her ladies had finished ___________ her in a new silk gown and the jewels gifted her by the Duke of Suffolk, the aging queen proceeded to leave her apartments to take on her royal duties.

tom-tom

When his grandparents returned from their trip to the Southwest, they brought Seth a ________________, much to his parents' dismay.

paddling

When my father was in school corporal punishment, specifically paddling, was still a common punishment for certain bad behaviors.

carpus

When she fell, she broke one of the bones in her ___________, a far more difficult bone to set than would have been a break of the ulna or radius.

recede

When the flood waters ____________, the real work of recovery will begin.

creak

When the floor boards in the old house began to ________, I began to get scared.

corpse

When the medical examiner opened the storage drawer in the morgue, the ___________ was missing.

copilot

When the pilot succumbed to food poisoning, responsibility for the safety of the passengers fell to the ____________.

boondoggle

When the sales rep tried to _______________ me into signing up for a questionable investment, I politely declined and reported him to the attorney general's office.

vesper

When the sexton sounded the ___________, the faithful moved toward the church for the evening service.

backgammon

When we are all still at home, my sisters and I spent many a Sunday afternoon in the winter playing ________________.

pantaloon

When we refer to trousers as pants, we are using a clipped form of ___________________.

whistling

Whenever she heard ______________, she knew the principal was about to enter her office.

oases

Wherever I have found myself living over the years, I have found the public library, the concert hall, and the local park to be __________ from the stresses of the work day.

singly

Whether we act __________ or as a group, the time to get to work cleaning up our neighborhood is now.

anesthetist

While Americans call my friend an anesthesiologist, the British call her an _____________.

strophe

While Emily Dickinson's poems are divided into stanzas, those of Walt Whitman are printed in the ____________ format.

pugilism

While I sometimes regard professional wrestling as something of a sham, I hold ______________ in high esteem.

badinage

While John enjoys the crass humor of Seth Rogen's movies, Alyssa prefers the _______________ of characters in a sophisticated play.

snipping

While _____________ coupons, I found an ad for a half-price sale on late model printers.

repelling

While ________________ my assailant, I noticed he had dropped his cell phone, and I later used it to track him down.

apprentice

While classroom training in theory and code requirements is valuable, work as an ______________ builds practical knowledge and skill.

chantey

While cleaning the decks after processing the whale they had taken, nineteenth-century sailors would typically sing one sea ________ after another.

conductance

While electrical resistance is measured in ohms, _______________ is measure in siemens.

unruffled

While name-calling and accusations flew across the room, Megan remained _______________ at the microphone.

orangeade

While the other kids were drinking colas, I preferred to have _______________.

serrate

While the penny and nickel have a smooth edge, the edges of both the dime and quarter are ____________.

roundup

While visiting his uncle's ranch in Texas, Kyle got the chance to participate in a cattle ______________.

chattily

While waiting for the interviewer to arrive, the applicant and the receptionist _____________ passed the time together.

cold-hearted

Who could have been more ________________ than the man who left his wife when she fell ill after delivering their fourth child?

whetstone

Wielding the _________________ with the expertise arising from years of practice, the blade-maker worked the metal to a fine edge.

suavely

Will ___________ greeted his date's parents, impressing them with his courtesy and charm.

spirituous

Wine, which is fermented, differs from _______________ liquors which are distilled.

tabulator

Within our group, one of my responsibilities was to serve as ______________ of the data we gathered to make it easier for our audience to follow.

sarcophagus

Within the medieval ____________________ lay the bodies of a king and a queen.

petrol

Without ___________ for the lorry, we won't be hauling this furniture anywhere.

tip-off

Without a ___________ from an anonymous caller, the police might never have discovered the body.

stagnate

Without an infusion of new ideas, any business can _______________ and eventually fail.

cold-blooded

Without emotion or remorse, the ________________ murderer walked through the room, almost casually shooting each of his twelve hostages.

approval

Without the committee's ____________, we will not be able to take the next step in our clinical trials of the new cancer treatment.

replenishment

A trip to town at the end of the month would see the _____________________ of our food supplies and everyone getting a chance to talk to people.

workaday

A vacation allows me to escape the mundane tasks of the _______________ world of the office.

burglarproof

Advanced technology has made the headquarters of the corporation virtually __________________.

tuxedo

Named for _____________ Park, a gathering place of New York's social elite in the 1880s, the ____________ originally referred only to a dinner jacket, but today it identifies a type of formal eveningwear for men.

animalism

An adherent of ____________, Elizabeth asserts that humans possess no immaterial aspect; that is, they have no soul.

wildebeest

The _________________ thrives in short grass plains and travels with others of its species in herds.

avant-garde

The __________________ writing style of James Joyce heralded a shift in literary movements.

bloodcurdling

The ___________________ scream that filled the darkened house roused the sleepers in every bedroom to immediate and full wakefulness.

circumlocution

Anna's _________________ led her father to conclude that she was trying to avoid saying something she did not want to be known.

ardency

Anthony expressed the ____________ of his love for Jessica in poems that he sent to her each week all summer long.

substitution

Any _________________ of a prescribed menu item will cost you extra.

a priori

Any addition or multiplication fact offers an instance of _____________ knowledge.

polarity

Any electrical charge necessarily has either positive or negative ______________.

perspicacity

Armed with creativity and __________________, Logan pursued his research into the use of nanotechnology to procedures that have traditionally required invasive surgery.

recited

As I ____________ the poem, I realized that I enjoyed bringing words on a page to auditory life.

warble

As I approached my grandmother's house when I was young, I always heard her canary ___________ in its cage even before I had entered the house.

poinsettia

As I had for years, when I arrived on the doorstep on Christmas Eve I handed my mother a red ________________.

begrime

As I predicted, the trek through the back country did, in fact, _______________, the once shiny new automobile.

argumentative

As I suspected, the _____________ group of men and women at the nearby table were all second year law students.

aisle

As I walked my daughter down the __________ of the church to be married, I thought back on my own wedding day as I watched my wife's father escort her to the altar.

Yankee

As a ____________ in the heart of Dixie, Katherine made it her purpose to learn the ways of the South and to fit in without sacrificing her own personality.

criminal

As soon as the detectives filed their reports, the prosecutor made formal __________ charges against the suspect.

surrender

As soon as they arrested her, she had to ________________ the cash in the bag she was carrying.

supervisor

As the English Department Chair my immediate _________________ was the vice-principal.

warrantee

As the ________________, I am entitled to a full replacement since the product under warranty has proven defective.

treasure

As the brothers went through the house deciding how to dispose of their deceased parents' possessions, they had no idea what to do with their mother's chief _____________, a photograph album containing pictures of five generations of their family.

steadily

As the clock ticked _____________, I gradually became more and more impatient.

plenipotentiary

As the crown's _______________________, all of his decisions held the force of law.

receded

As the flood waters _______________, the citizens of Houston began the long, slow tasks of cleaning, recovering, and restoring their city.

sharply

As the getaway car turned ____________, the pursuing police vehicle slid off the road.

taxied

As the plane ___________ to the runway from which it would take off, I admit I became a bit nervous, never having flown before.

wince

As the pledge master raises his paddle, the pledge will undoubtedly _________ in anticipation of the swat.

riotously

As the protest wore on, the marchers acted more _______________ than peacefully, actually attacking vehicles and opponents.

commissary

As the spouse of a serving marine, he had access to the base ___________________.

standee

As the subway car slowly emptied, each _____________ took a vacant seat.

cellophane

Before I could get to the cough drops in the cardboard box, I had to remove the _____________ wrapper from the box.

bodkin

Before he could stab the prince, a guard relieved the disgruntled earl of the ___________ he had pulled from a hidden sheath.

precaution

Before leaving to go shopping, I not only took the _______________ of locking the doors but also set the alarm system.

semaphore

Before the advent of radio, ships often had only __________________ as a means of communication between ships at sea.

piazza

Before we went off on our separate explorations of Venice, we all agreed to meet at the _____________ under the Column of San Marco.

peradventure

Beyond __________________ of doubt, these leaks pose a threat to national security.

pilchard

Both _______________ and sardine refer to various small, oily fish within the herring family.

reasoning

By David's ___________________ the project would cost the citizens more than they would ever make back from the investment.

proclamation

By Presidential _________________, Lincoln freed all the slaves in the Confederacy.

abrogating

By ______________ all tariffs, the treaty allowed for absolutely free trade.

whodunit

I love a good ______________, but especially one that goes outside the box of the currently popular policed procedural and in which the detective is a genuinely eccentric character.

stepladder

I needed the ________________ to wash the entirety of the picture window.

wrench

I told the guys to be careful and not to ____________ each other's wrists with that stunt.

coworker

I took my new _____________ to lunch on her first day and learned we had gone to the same college.

priming

I took several days scraping, cleaning, ____________, and finally applying two coats of paint to the old garage.

propitiate

I tried to ________________ my mother by complimenting her on her taste and style, but she immediately asked, "What exactly do you want to borrow?"

subscriber

I was a ________________ to a cable television service for many years before I switched to a combination of installing a digital antenna and subscribing to a couple of streaming services.

subscribing

I was a subscriber to a cable television service for many years before I switched to a combination of installing a digital antenna and __________________ to a couple of streaming services.

sincerest

I was persuaded to forgive Alexis after she expressed the _______________ apology I had ever heard.

clarification

I went to my supervisor for ______________ of the new policy on work attire posted in the break room.

clearinghouse

I worked in the library's ______________ where all materials eventually came for redistribution or weeding.

cyclic

Many economists have tried to pin down all the parameters of the _______ nature of the stock market.

academician

Many have regarded Woodrow Wilson, who served as President of Princeton before being elected governor of New Jersey, as better suited to the role of _____________ than of President of the United States.

pious

Many have suspected that our __________ classmate would go on to become a priest.

undertone

Many of the journalists detected an ________________ of disapproval in the governor's announcement of a bill recently passed by the legislature.

ruination

Many people at the turn of the century were sure that automobiles would lead to the ________________ of the country.

ameliorative

Many people believe that taking Vitamin C tablets has an _____________ effect on their general health.

anarchic

Many readers of his biography find it hard to believe the _____________ history of the adolescence of this saintly man.

anthropology

Margaret Mead popularized ___________________ when she published Coming of Age in Samoa.

reneging

My new euchre partner seemed unable to make it through one complete round of the game without _______________, each time costing us the game.

protector

My older brother was my self-appointed _______________ until I unexpectedly grew taller and stronger than he.

reindeer

My parents used to put out carrots for Santa's ______________ along with a platter with milk and cookies for the gift bringer himself.

pedometer

My phone has an app that functions as a ___________________, recording my steps throughout the day and roughly calculating the number of miles I have walked.

antihistamine

My sisters and I all take an _______________ to counter the effects of our pollen allergy.

vox populi

My social studies instructor says that if the representatives would spend more time listening to the actual __________________ and less to the hired mouthpieces of special interests, they might actually create laws that best served everyone.

vivify

My teacher explained how diction choices and figurative language both work to _________ a narrative.

automotive

My wife believes there is an ________________ parts store on every third block on any street.

reversal

The attorney won a _____________ of the lower court judge's decision when he appealed his client's case.

provable

Our instructor assured us the theorem is _______________ but challenged us to find the proof on our own.

prefigurative

Our literature instructor helped us all to appreciate the __________________ effects of details we had ignored on our first reading.

audibly

Our neighbors' argument ____________ intruded through the thin apartment walls.

awry

Our plans went ________ when our plane failed to depart on time.

triune

Our recent sermon in church focused on the ___________ Holy Trinity - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

retrospective

Over the course of the past year, my wife and I attended a ____________________ of Stanley Kubrick's films.

sensitization

Part of his anger management therapy was a process of _________________ to the feelings of others.

treasonous

The attorney's providing the members of the terrorist cell with false identities is in itself as __________________ as his helping them to secure bomb-making materials.

acoustically

The auditorium had been _____________ designed to provide the perfect venue for any musical performance.

prolificacy

Remarkable for her __________________ as a writer, she has twenty-two novels, well over a hundred short stories, and three plays to her credit.

conversant

Remarkably well read, Benjamin is _____________ in a wide number of topics, including current events, medical research, and the arts.

remedied

Reorganizing the company's structure ________________ the problem of creative stagnation.

arousal

Repeated news stories concerning the Spanish in Cuba ultimately accomplished the _____________ of voters to call for war with Spain.

sewerage

The city government of my hometown has been undertaking the replacement of city ________________ over the past five years and expects to complete the project of replacing old sewer lines in just eighteen months.

pollute

The court determined that the company did indeed ____________ the river by allowing run-off from their factory.

classroom

The courtroom turned out to be the young lawyer's most instructive _____________.

palomino

The cowboy film star Roy Rogers had his prized _______________, Trigger, preserved by taxidermy and placed him on display.

agglutination

The _________ of cells such as bacteria or red blood cells in the presence of an antibody makes possible the efficient elimination of bacteria.

weirdly

The __________ decorated waiting room at the psychologist's office was somewhat disturbing.

stricken

The entire family _____________ with the flu, none of them could go to the wedding.

untidy

The __________ plan was so unorganized that it cost more money than it earned.

Ouija

The ___________ board is an amusing parlor game, but it has no real divinatory powers.

zoning

The ___________ board will consider how to classify the land where the hospital used to stand.

tanager

The ___________ can typically be found living among small family groups of three to five individual birds.

suppress

The first step toward tyranny is a move to _______________ any freedom of thought and expression.

swallow-tailed

The flag of Ohio, the only non-rectangular flag among all those of U.S. states, is actually _____________________.

peremptorily

The governor __________________ called for the evacuation of a quarter of the population of Florida in the face of the onslaught of Hurricane Irma.

precautionary

The governor of Florida issued a series of ____________________ warnings instructing people to evacuate the areas most threatened by Hurricane Irma.

blood vessel

The great saphenous vein, which extends from the top of the foot to the upper thigh and groin, is the longest _________________ in the human body.

shako

The illustration shows the _________ worn by a French naval officer in the nineteenth century.

admiral

The longest-serving ____________ in US naval history, Hyman G. Rickover, the "Father of the Nuclear Navy," was born in Poland in 1900.

paneling

The mahogany ________________ in the library lent the room an air of rich seriousness.

parquetry

The main entrance had an intricate _________________ floor designed by a local artist.

okapi

The male ________ has short horns that are covered with hair.

offense

The man's actual ____________ turned out to be no more than parking his car where his accuser was used to parking.

parchment

The manuscript recovered from the medieval library was a rare __________________ copy of the plays of Seneca.

parietal

The medical examiner determined that the weapon used to crush the victim's ______________ bone had been delivered by a wooden baseball bat.

basilar

The medical examiner determined the deceased had suffered a ___________ skull fracture delivered by a blunt instrument.

retard

The medication should __________ the spread of the cancer, but it will not cure it.

undertaking

The medieval townspeople knew that building a cathedral would be an __________________ completed by their grandchildren or even their great-grandchildren.

unforgettable

The memory of the ______________________ beauty of the mountains has stayed with me for well over twenty years now.

organism

The meteor contained what may be evidence of occupation by a living _____________ of extraterrestrial origin.

scuttle

The mistress of the house sent Sarah to fill the ____________ with coal and then to fill and light the stove.

bolero

The model wore a tight-fitting __________ over a ball gown made of gold and blue satin.

suffuse

The moment I opened the bottle of perfume, the powerful scent began to _____________ the air in the room.

perplex

The more Julia studied the problem, the more it would _______________ her.

strychnine

The most common uses of _______________ are as a rat poison and as a medical stimulant of the human central nervous system.

Philistine

The most famous ________________ is probably Goliath, the giant David kills in the biblical account.

stelar

The most important ________ inscription we recovered bore the name of a prince called Alexandros, one of the names of Paris who stole Helen of Troy.

protectively

The mother bear stood ________________ between us and her cubs.

brimful

The mug was _____________ of black coffee, precisely the way the major liked it.

subvention

The museum receives a monthly ___________________ from the Lily Foundation to maintain its operation and acquisition of new exhibits.

pre-Columbian

The museum's collection of ___________________ art ranks among the most comprehensive in the world.

sphinx

The mysterious young woman proved to be a ___________, responding to every question she we asked with a question of her own, revealing nothing of her past or her reasons for being here.

pigeon

The navigational skills of a _____________ make it possible for them to find their way to their nest from 1300 miles away.

prohibit

The new law will _____________ smoking in any public place.

cadmium

The overwhelming majority of _____________ used in industry goes into rechargeable batteries.

banns

The priest announced the ________ for the first time on the Sunday after Ryan proposed to Lauren.

propitiation

The priest of Apollo offered the god the sacrifice of a bull and a ram as acts of __________________ in the face of the plague afflicting the city.

offensive

The principal agreed to address the _______________ behavior of the senior class toward the freshmen.

atmospheric

The probe sent back ______________ readings from the planet where explorers from Earth would establish the first colony beyond the reaches of their solar system of origin.

complied

The school ____________ with every directive and guideline passed along from the Department of Education.

conferred

The school ________________ an honorary doctorate on the distinguished alumna.

chicanery

The self-promoting blowhard achieved his goal by using flattery and _______________.

aeronautics

The serious study of ________________ began with an investigation of the flight of birds.

scuttlebutt

The story circulating about the captain being promoted turned out to be nothing but __________________.

brazier

The street vendor prepared the meat for his hot sandwiches in a ____________ attached to his cart.

commandment

The students had learned to regard any request by the teacher as a _______________.

symbol

The stuffed penguin gradually became a _____________ of our unity and pride as a successful speech team.

Zurich

The tour group visited ___________, Switzerland.

supplicating

The townspeople came to Oedipus _____________________ him to save them from the plague.

currycomb

The trainer showed me how to use a ____________ on the day of my first horseback riding lesson.

cavalry

The transition of the ____________ from horses to machines occurred during World War I.

unilateral

The treaty called for _______________ disarmament by the losing side.

pacification

The troops had finally achieved the _______________ of the region where insurgents had held sway for months.

canaille

The woman complained to the guide that she had come to see the great cultural contributions of France, not the _____________ of the Left Bank.

actively

The women doing calculations relevant to the space program were as ____________ involved in the efforts as were the almost exclusively male engineers.

cupola

The workmen lowered the prefabricated _________ onto the small tower and completed the building's exterior.

writhed

The wounded girl _____________ in pain as the EMTs examined her.

aberrant

The year of ______________ weather included light snow in September, unseasonal heat in February, and three times the average rainfall over the course of the year.

cosmogony

Theories of _______________ date back much further than the earliest Greek philosophers.

undecided

Though I want to go to Gulf Shores, our family's plans for spring break remain __________________.

prankster

Though Rodney's mother considered him a merry _____________, the police disagreed and charged him with malicious trespass.

assertion

Though every essay must offer an _____________, or thesis, near its beginning, that statement requires supporting evidence to argue its truth.

syncope

Though everyone uses contractions, we seldom hear a poetic _____________ such as ne'er in daily speech.

oleomargarine

Though hardly anyone uses the word anymore, my great aunt Polly insists on calling the artificial butter ______________________.

cantata

Though he did not always use the word itself in his titles, Bach wrote many a well-known __________.

career

Though he trained for a _______________ in physics, Noah eventually went to the seminary and became a pastor.

Croix de Guerre

Though he was an American, because he fought with the French forces, he was awarded the ____________________ for valor.

pariah

Though he was once a hero in the world of sports, lies about not using performance-enhancing drugs had now made the cyclist a _____________.

aspiration

Though her ______________ to become President had been known by her family since her youth, that goal had remained out of her grasp until now.

waive

Though his attorney cautioned him against such a rash decision, Nick _________ all his parental rights.

collier

Though his father had been a ___________, he left the mining town and became a professional musician.

satisfaction

Though his steak was prepared to Michael's __________________, Emily's veal was a different matter.

silicon

Though it does not often occur in its pure elemental form, ___________ is the eighth most common element in the universe.

tapir

Though it looks like a pig, the ________ is more closely related to the horse.

sleepily

Though it wasn't yet nine, I yawned _____________, turned off the TV, and went to bed.

Achilles

Though made almost absolutely invulnerable when his mother dipped him in the Styx as an infant, ______________ was not immortal.

psychoanalysis

Though many of his theories have fallen into disrepute, Sigmund Freud is still widely regarded as the leading pioneer in ____________________.

brontosaurus

Though many people call this beast a ______________, paleontologists prefer Apatosaurus.

Cairo

Though modern ___________ was founded in 969, remains of even more ancient cities remain visible in parts of old ___________.

briskly

Though my knee injury prevented me from running, I was still able to walk ______________.

reservation

We had driven several hundred miles before I learned that we had no _________________ for a night's accommodation.

comparison

We had to select a pair of opposites from a list offered by our instructor on which to write a _______________ to find how the two things were alike.

rejuvenate

We hope that after her long illness, the trip abroad will __________________ her.

translucent

We installed __________________ windows in our basement apartment.

pleasant

We passed a ______________ afternoon driving aimlessly through the beautiful countryside.

obversely

We tend to be pleased with the truth and _______________ displeased with falsehood.

cultural

When I moved back to my country home after college, I missed the many __________ events available to me at IU.

regency

When King George III was considered to be incapable of ruling, Parliament gave the king's son the _____________.

Anglo-Saxon

As Norman French became the language of the court in England after the Norman Conquest, ________________ - or Old English - slowly evolved into Middle English, the language of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

principle

As a matter of _______________, I returned the change to the cashier who had mistakenly given me too much.

ceded

As a result of the Mexican-American War, Mexico ___________ territory to the US equivalent in area to Western Europe.

registrar

As each of them came to her office for a copy or copies of transcripts, the _______________ got to know every college-bound student before the end of the year.

atrocious

As he piled half of the available food onto his own plate, my roommate's __________ manners shocked my mild-mannered parents.

wallow

As hogs ____________ in the mud on a hot summer's day, the boys splash about in the pool with nothing better to do.

Siamese

Characterized by its blue, almond-shaped eyes and large ears, the _____________ cat has been a favorite among cat-lovers since the nineteenth century.

theobromine

Containing no bromine at all, ___________________ takes its name from the genus of cacao tree from which it is derived: Theobroma, etymologically, "food of the gods."

Bermuda

A British Overseas Territory, _________ was probably discovered by Juan de Bermudez in 1503.

sociological

Abby enjoyed her __________________ studies more than she did statistics, though she knew she would need both to complete her major.

covenant

According to the ____________ each member of the homeowner's association signs, no one can make any changes to their property without a vote by the entire membership.

up-to-date

According to this ________________ report, revenue has increased each month of this season.

schedule

According to this travel ______________, we will have only three hours in Florence tomorrow.

resuming

After _______________ her seat in the House of Representative, she thought about the past eight years in the private sector and wondered why she had ever left government.

contriving

After _______________ to win votes by pandering to his constituency, the politician experienced an attack of conscience and revealed his true political views.

tabulating

After ________________ the data we had gathered, I created graphs to indicate significant comparisons and trends.

pensively

After her husband's departure to join his troops, Rachel sat _______________ at the writing desk, trying to commit to her diary all the feelings of the day.

vulnerable

After his mother Thetis dipped him into the River Styx, Achilles was ________________ only in his right heel which his mother's hand had grasped while immersing him.

window

After hitting a ball that crashed through a neighbor's ____________, I had to work off the cost of replacing it.

soulless

After losing his farm to developers sanctioned by the government's right of imminent domain, the farmer regarded those at whose hands he suffered as _____________ bureaucrats.

curio

After my grandmother passed away, my grandfather told me I could choose any ________ in her collection to have as my own, so I chose a shrunken head from the Amazon.

comptroller

After only seven years in state government, Dylan was named ________________ for the state.

shoveling

After practice, Josh came home, sat down at the dinner table, and started ________________ in food as though he hadn't eaten in days.

stable

After putting my horse back into the ___________ for the evening, I went in to the house to enjoy a hearty meal.

biographer

After reading The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, President Ronald Reagan asked the author, Edmund Morris, to serve as his presidential _________________.

absolutely

After reviewing her calculations, Glenn was _______________ certain that she would be able to bring him home safely.

captious

After six months of Julia's constant __________ remarks, Benjamin said he could no longer date her.

alteration

After some minor ______________, my grandmother's ball gown fit me.

allspice

Also called pimento, ______________, so called because it was thought to combine the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, was widely used by home cooks in the 1950s and 1960s.

virtue

Although Plato valued temperance, courage, and justice, he probably ranked wisdom as the highest _________.

zeta

Although _______ is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, it represents the value of the numeral 7 in the Greek system.

reincarnation

Although ______________________ is primarily an Asian belief, Plato expressed a similar belief in ancient Greece.

polygon

Each ____________ takes its name from a Greek prefix that identifies the number of its angles.

curried

Each afternoon when I arrived home from school, I rushed to the stable and _________ my new colt.

partaken

I have annually _______________ in all the festivities associated with Halloween.

visitant

I have been a ___________ to every national park in the United States.

rumpus

I left the court to see what the ____________ was in the hallway.

visitation

I made my first hospital ______________ as a lay minister just last year.

waitress

I met the woman who would become my wife while she was working her way through college as a ______________.

bruit

I never imagined my best friend would _________ my deepest secret throughout the school.

yonder

I plan to walk to the woods ____________ and may be there most of the day.

pica

I presented my research report in ________ type as prescribed by the instructor.

corridor

I proceeded down a long __________ with dozens of offices opening onto it along the way.

unquestionable

I respect Brandon as a young man of ________________________ integrity.

thrusting

I saw Tyler _______________ his way toward the stage and feared what he might say when he reached the microphone.

pewee

I saw a ___________ in the woods that borders our property, but I could not from a distance identify which of the fourteen species it belonged to.

saluting

I saw each student entering Mr. Wilcox's room _____________ him with an enthusiastic smile and verbal greeting.

prying

I soon grew suspicious of the stranger's ___________ questions regarding my neighbors.

squeezing

I spend just a few minutes _________________ oranges every morning so that we can have fresh juice with breakfast.

raisin

I suspected my young daughter had fixed herself a snack when I saw a small juice spill in the kitchen and a single ___________ lying near it.

adjacency

I think we first became friends because of the ______________ of our childhood homes.

tamper

I warned him that any attempt to ____________ with the computer records would be detected.

wallop

I will never understand how the petite Jasmine was able to ____________ the bully Mark.

recriminate

If Dylan lays an accusation against Victoria, it is certain that she will _________________ with an equally hurtful charge.

slickness

If I had considered the ______________ of the sidewalk more realistically, I might not have fallen halfway to my car.

pirouette

The ______________ is not an easy ballet move to master.

carafe

The waitress brought a __________ of water and filled each guest's glass.

whenas

"To say the truth, so Judas kissed his master/And cried 'All hail,' _____________ he meant all harm." - Shakespeare's Henry Sixth, Part III, 5.7

scapula

Connecting the humerus with the clavicle, the ____________ may derive its name from the Latin for spade or shovel.

toting

I could see the young man from afar, but I could not determine what he was __________ on his back.

cobbler

I could smell the peach ____________ Jamie was making to take to the party.

cachet

Her reputation for creativity and the several awards accorded to her brought the project a _____________ of artistry.

barbarianism

Her younger brothers' ________________ mortified Grace whenever her boyfriend came to dinner.

whaler

Herman Melville actually worked on a __________ long before writing Moby Dick.

versed

I became ___________ in Roman history when I studied Latin in high school.

superfluous

I began to regard many of the possessions in my home as __________________ to both comfort and well-being.

therapeutic

I believe talk therapy may often have more __________________ value than medication.

reasonable

I believed that $20 an hour to serve as a tutor was a ___________________ fee to charge.

corsage

I bought my date a ____________ for the prom, chosen to complement her dress.

tobacconist

I bought two cigars from a Cuban __________________ in Tarpon Springs, Florida, to give to my father-in-law.

raucous

I complained to the hotel management about the ___________ party going on in the room next to mine.

verdant

I could hardly believe after trekking through the desert for hour that we had finally arrived in a ____________ oasis.

perjury

A class six felony in Indiana, ____________ is punishable by up to a year in prison and payment of fines up to $10,000.

sophist

A clever but deceptive politician, the ____________ seemed to argue effectively, but any critical listener could pick up on the false reasoning and empty arguments.

thrush

A __________ reveals the hidden door on the side of the Lonely Mountain, allowing the company of dwarves and one hobbit to enter and find the lair of Smaug, later also revealing to Bard how to kill that beast.

pioneer

A _____________ in space flights, John Glenn was a national hero who went on to become a senator and eventually returned to space at 77 while still in office.

songster

A ______________ from a young age, Liz eventually became a country music performer, entertaining millions with her heartfelt ballads.

bibliophile

A ______________ with eclectic tastes, Anna prized her collection of leather-bound books with special affection.

bituminous

A _______________ concrete serves to bind aggregate materials in the construction of what most Americans call asphalt pavement.

barcarolle

A _______________ is typically in 6/8 meter and played at a moderate tempo.

Sadducee

A ________________ of great standing in the community would often argue publicly religious issues with the Pharisee who lived next door to him.

carbuncle

A cluster of boils caused by a bacterial infection, a ___________ is actually an indicator that the immune system is active and fighting the infection.

rebus

A bottle of an anti-depressant pinned to a Hawaiian shirt is a __________ for "tropical depression".

radiotelephone

A cell phone is a __________________________ made accessible and affordable to the general public.

receptor

A pain _______________ is stimulated by tissue damage, while a photoreceptor is stimulated by light.

bargainer

A die-hard _____________, Aunt Meryl never pays full price for anything.

persona non grata

A former member of the KGB, Moscow's ambassador to the United Kingdom was deemed a _________________________.

probation

A fraternity pledge is on _________________ until he is or is not inducted into the brotherhood.

touter

A frequent __________ of his films, the actor's reluctance to promote his most recent movie suggested it was not very good.

voluptuous

A gourmet enjoys cooking as an art while a gourmand probably has more _________________ interests in enjoying the products of fine cuisine.

submitted

After I had ________________ the final draft of my thesis, I breathed a long sigh of relief and went out to celebrate.

phlox

A highly adaptive flower, __________ can be found in alpine tundra, open woodland, and prairie.

turbot

A highly valued species for food consumption, the ___________ is harvested both on aquaculture farms and by trawling.

albino

A human ___________ is born once in every 20,000 births.

consequential

A minor adjustment, the schedule change was not _____________ in the long term.

Presbyterianism

A part of the Reformed tradition in Christianity, __________________________ is distinguished by its specific form of church governance.

brilliantine

A perfumed, oily liquid, ___________ made the hair of the best-dressed men of the early 1900's shine.

recommend

After I have read a particularly informative or moving book, I like to __________________ it to my friends.

cottontail

A red fox was stocking a _____________.

admonitory

A simple ______________ glance from Mr. Tatum could silence the class in an instant for fear of consequences.

paillette

A single _______________ is barely noticeable, but a gown covered in such bangles flashes and catches the eye of all who see it.

bethel

A small ___________ dedicated to worship by workers on the sea had stood on this site since the mid-nineteenth century.

waggish

After Twain had created the _____________ Tom Sawyer, he created the more complicated Huckleberry Finn.

crappie

After I caught my first _________, my grandfather taught me how to scale and filet the fish.

personable

After speaking with him for only a few minutes, Isabella regarded Noah as both attractive and _________________.

painfully

After surgery, I _______________ endured the first day or two of physical therapy but could soon bend my knee with the same range of motion and absence of pain as I had before I suffered the break.

ball bearing

After the child dropped her fidget spinner, a single __________________ fell out of the mechanism.

volcanic

After the eruption, _____________ ash covered the countryside for many miles beyond the lava flow.

unexceptional

After the turmoil of the past three weeks, I have enjoyed the simplicity of this ______________________ day.

clownish

Alex's ___________ behavior impressed his friends but made no positive impact on the girl he liked.

prideful

Alex's ______________ boasting left Megan disappointed in her former boyfriend.

amiability

Alexis's ________________ first attracted many of her friends to her, but they soon found she had many other admirable qualities.

thermostatic

All ____________________ adjustments must be approved by the office manager.

scuffling

All that Mr. Jaseph had to do was step into the hallway, and the ______________ between Matt and Josh came to an immediate halt.

shillelagh

Along with the color green, the _______________, among Americans especially, has become a standard symbol of Ireland.

papaya

Although you might eat a ripe ______________ raw as you might an apple, you might also cook the unripe fruit and include it in a salad.

bivalent

Aluminum is ___________ with valences of two and three.

whetting

Always a masterful speaker, Elaine stepped to the podium, and - _____________ our imaginations with an anecdote drawn from her writing career - launched into the most fascinating two hour presentation I have ever heard.

tolerable

Alyssa feared that she could not endure John's constant talking during their flight, but much to her surprise she found him more than ________________.

aviator

Amelia Earhart is, perhaps, the most famous _________ of her day, at least in current memory.

acclimatization

An example of ______________ occurs among humans who move permanently to a higher altitude, and show over time an increase in their red blood cell count that correspondingly increases the oxygen carrying capacity of their blood.

Tallahassee

An interesting attraction in __________________ is the San Luis de Apalache living history museum, a seventeenth-century colonial village on the site of an old Spanish mission.

busybody

An intrusive ______________, Phyllis will interject herself into any conversation and start giving advice with little understanding of the situation.

sacrifice

I didn't mind making the ______________ of giving up my Spring Break to care for my ailing parents.

saturnism

An uncommon synonym for lead poisoning, ________________ derives from the association of the element lead with the planet Saturn in astrology.

arachnid

And spider, scorpion, mite, tick, and daddy-long legs may be properly described as ______________.

affront

Andrew did not realize that words common in his speech would _________ Sarah to such a degree.

righteous

Aristotle would say that ________________ indignation is a virtue defined as the golden mean between wrath and sullenness.

snowier

I do believe today is ___________ than it was yesterday, but I heard on the news that school would still be in session.

theocracy

Any state operating under Sharia as its foundation for political institutions or laws is, effectively, a _________________.

scapegrace

Apparently a _________________ by nature, Thomas à Becket surprised King Henry II by taking the role of Archbishop of Canterbury altogether seriously.

tallied

As part of our job we ___________ the number of the spectators coming into the stadium's free concert.

shrunken

Ashley's ______________ sweater was proof she should have listened to her mother who told her not to put the garment in the dryer.

parallax

Astronomers used the principal of ________________ to measure the distance of celestial bodies far from the Earth.

trombone

At Christmas a group of ________________ players called "Jingle Bones" play at the Artsgarden.

sideboard

At Christmas, my wife decorates the ________________ with a Christmas village complete with houses and citizens all to scale.

comfit

At each place setting at the reception, the bridesmaids had placed treat cups from which a single white ___________ had spilled at the groom's setting.

apprenticed

At fourteen, Leonardo was _______________ to Verrocchio with whom many other noted Renaissance painters were also associated.

caricaturist

At her party, Isabella had a ______________ who did funny drawings of each of the guests.

winsome

Attracted by Mikayla's ____________ smile, Jacob shyly approached her and awkwardly tried to talk with her.

chronicling

Aunt Edna had been _____________ the family history for over sixty years, right up to the day she died.

passionately

Austin spoke ____________________ about his time in the Peace Corps, moving many of his listeners to think about volunteering themselves.

victor

Austin was the final __________ in the chess tournament.

statistics

Baseball _____________ fuel debates and document greatness or failure in the game.

ampoule

Batman gave Commissioner Gordon an ____________ containing the antidote to the Joker venom.

reprehensibility

Brain's laughing during Rebecca's dramatic monologue during the talent show was typical of his general _______________________.

beneficence

Brandon's regular acts of _______________ included scholarships for ten students in need each year.

permissive

Ben's __________________ upbringing had not prepared him well for school or work where he expected for things always to go his way and by his rules.

vulpine

Benjamin's ___________ guile makes him the perfect conman.

bellicose

Brianna, _____________ by nature, got into a fight her first day at camp.

trajectory

Calculations of the ________________ of the unidentified flying object predicted its impacting the Earth in northwestern New Mexico.

parliamentary

Canada has a _____________________ form of government.

brute

Charlotte believes that rough sports like rugby bring out the __________ in men.

preconceive

I fear that no amount of exposure to the facts will change his inclination to ___________________ the accused man's guilt.

sternly

Dad __________ refused to lift my grounding for breaking curfew.

pathfinder

Daniel Boone was the great _________________ who established the Wilderness Road by passing through the Cumberland Gap into western Virginia which would eventually become Kentucky.

violence

Dante's Inferno, following Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, classifies the sins of ______________ between those of incontinence and fraud in degrees of offensiveness.

astronomer

David first began to dream of becoming an ________________ when his parents gave him his first telescope powerful enough to see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.

cartography

Deep space travel will require detailed stellar _______________ that takes into account not only spatial placement but the constant movement of bodies in space and the effects of gravity.

slake

Denied water, I asked the nurse if I could _________ my thirst by having some crushed ice, but she said it would not be wise.

Shangri-la

Derived from James Hilton's novel about a Tibetan paradise in a Himalayan valley, _________________ now identifies any idealized locale.

commensurate

I felt my compensation was not ______________ with the time and effort I had put into the project.

self-important

Despite Jake's good looks and wealth, his _____________________ personality made him few friends.

quavering

Despite Samantha's obvious eagerness to hear his proposal, Andrew stood ________________ before her, nearly unable to speak.

spryly

Despite her more than ninety years, Jenny _________ made her way through the market, purchasing every item on her list.

cheerful

Despite my anxiety about attending the event, the _____________ attendees put me at ease.

pertinence

Despite the engaging nature of our professor's anecdotes, I sometimes questioned their __________________ to the subject at hand.

reproach

Despite the fact he did not want to be there, Jordan's behavior was above ______________ throughout the evening.

contour

Despite the heavy fog, we began to distinguish the ______________ of the jet as it rolled toward the terminal.

shortcoming

Despite the high-mindedness of the law, enforcement proved to be an insurmountable ____________________.

boorish

Destiny was embarrassed by Justin's ______________ behavior at the dinner party where she had invited him as her escort.

semiprecious

Diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald are all precious while the other birthstones are graded as _____________________: garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, moonstone, peridot, opal, topaz, and turquoise.

arresting

Diana's _____________ appearance and commanding confidence drew the attention of all in the room.

Amazon

Diana, the ____________ princess, debuted in her first feature film in June of 2017.

Sioux

Divided into three linguistic sub-groups, _________ includes Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota.

transfusion

Dr. Charles Richard Drew, and African-American physician, developed the practice of blood _________________ and eventually left his job with the Red Cross because they insisted on racially segregating donated blood.

breakthrough

Dr. McCoy's medical tricorder may soon be a reality in American households thanks to a ____________________ encouraged by Qualcomm's ten million dollar competition aimed at translating fiction into fact.

anesthetize

Dr. Meiser's job was to ________________ the patient before the surgeon began the operation.

anthropologist

Dr. Temperance Brennan is a forensic __________________ who works for the Jeffersonian on the TV show Bones.

bookbindery

Dylan left his job as a corporate lawyer to work in a ________________ hand-tooling custom-designed leather covers for high-end customers.

composure

Even in the face of news of her mother's death, Victoria maintained her ______________ and delivered her speech to the press.

sullied

Exposure of his relationship with his secretary ____________ his reputation and caused him to leave the ministry.

annunciation

Following the ________________ of new maximum staffing guidelines for all municipal government agencies, many of those offices lost employees.

congregate

Fans began to _______________ outside the stadium hours before the box office opened to sell tickets for the concert.

cleavage

Feldspar exhibits ____________ in two direction.

Philippines

From 1898 to 1946 a protectorate of the United States, the ____________________ became an independent republic with Manila as its capital.

balbriggan

Garments made of ________________ are made from unbleached cotton and therefore not of the familiar white color.

consanguinity

Genealogical research confirmed the _______________ between my wife and Stephen Hopkins, one of the passengers on the Mayflower.

vascular

General treatments for _____________ disease include quitting smoking, lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood glucose, and increasing physical activity.

uncommunicative

Generally an __________________________ boy, Ryan's parents were somewhat surprised when he began talking about Brianna, a new girl in his class.

sumptuous

I had never visited such a __________________ private home as my boss's thirty-room mansion.

Braque

Georges ____________, a French painter associated with both Fauvism and Cubism, studied at the École des Beaux-Arts after training to be a house painter and decorator.

perforce

Given all the evidence we have uncovered, Mr. Samuel's story must ______________ be true.

odious

Grace protested what she regarded as ____________ modern buildings beginning to arise in the historical district of town.

unhappiness

Grace tried to explain to Ethan that he was bringing his ____________________ on himself by being too picky.

orchestration

Her ________________ of a trade agreement between the rival nations earned her recognition as a top negotiator.

confutation

Haley's ___________ of her opponent's arguments was orderly, sharp, and decisive, winning the majority of her listeners to her side of the issue.

soliloquist

Hamlet, the great ________________, has three such speeches in his play, most of them often quoted even by those who do not know Shakespeare.

chameleon

Hank's first pet was a _________, and that experience led him to specialize in saurian biology.

perception

Her __________________ of the challenges posed by the situation allowed us to deal more fully and directly with the problem.

proficiency

Her ___________________ as a writer appeared early, growing into a remarkable creativity when she wrote her first novel.

penetration

Her ___________________ of the complexities of quantum physics astonished all of her professors.

parricidal

Her ____________________ rampage left her entire immediate family dead.

unceremonious

Her ________________________ disruption of the speaker to direct latecomers to take a seat was unnecessary and rude.

phonological

Her keen sensitivity to ___________________ variations made her a much sought after pronouncer at spelling bees.

conspicuous

Her red gown was _______________ among the other women at the ball, all of whom were attired in white or black.

transplant

In 1954, Dr. Joseph Murray and Dr. David Hume were able to _______________ a kidney from one twin to another, making that kidney the first successful human transplant in history.

bishopric

In 2017, Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows was named to the Episcopal _______________ of Indianapolis, the eleventh person to hold that office.

penance

In Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter", Rev. Dimmesdale privately lashes himself with a kind of whip as _________________ for his secret sin of adultery with Hester Prynne.

burglary

In Indiana, residential ___________ is a Class B felony.

satyr

In Ovid's Metamorphoses Marsyas, a __________, challenges Apollo to a music contest, loses, and is then flayed.

seamstress

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, the main character, is an accomplished __________________.

adultery

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, the protagonist, is condemned to wear an embroidered red letter "A" on her bodice, announcing her guilt for committing ________________.

tutti-frutti

In the Netherlands, raisins, pineapple, and cherries combined with nuts create a popular dessert, _________________, while in other countries different combinations of fruits may be used.

trivalent

In the _____________ state, arsenic shows some incipient metallic properties.

vanguard

In the ________________ of quantum mechanics stand Max Planck, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger, Enrico Fermi, and - of course - Albert Einstein among others.

chargé d'affaires

In the ambassador's absence, his _________________ took over the job of handling the incident involving the two American tourists being held by the Parisian police.

causality

In the end, the effect is the same regardless of how we interpret the _____________.

prestidigitation

My friend Brad is a master of ________________________, doing his table magic at a local club.

progressively

It has gotten _____________________ colder all day as the storm front moves in from the north.

bruising

It is difficult to test the ripeness of peaches without running the risk of ____________ them.

sorcery

It is likely that a primitive society might regard modern technology, such as a cell phone, as a work of ______________.

suitability

It is not unusual for my wife to question the _________________ of the clothes I am wearing and then to suggest several changes.

preponderant

It is the ____________________ misconception that the Earth is farthest from the sun during the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, while, in fact, our planet i nearest the sun at that time.

christen

It is traditional to _____________ a ship by breaking a bottle of champagne over its bow.

scabies

Itchiness and a rash characterize cases of ____________ in humans.

telepathy

J. B. Rhine, founder of the parapsychology department at Duke University, conducted experiments in ______________.

cheroot

J. Jonah Jameson rarely appears without an unlit ____________ clenched between his teeth as he complains about Spiderman.

craftily

Jacob __________ tricked Esau into giving up his birthright.

bachelor

James Buchanan is the only _____________ ever to serve as President.

quintuplet

James and Jessica gave each ________________ a name that started with a "J" for obvious reasons.

obsession

James's _______________ with athletic training has cut him off from most of his former friends with whom he no longer has time to socialize.

psychoanalyst

Jamie's _____________________ has worked with him for years, and she feels he has made progress.

criterion

June's chief ___________ in making a new friend is honesty.

shanghai

Just as some of us feared, Evans moved to ______________ the project, leaving most of the original researchers with neither input nor credit for work accomplished.

pilfer

Just three weeks into his new job, he began to ____________ small grocery items but eventually worked his way up to stealing money from the cash register.

pursued

Justin ____________ an undergraduate degree in marine biology.

referee

Justin trained to become a ____________ as a part-time job, working with high school sports.

uncertain

Justin's ______________ look left me wondering whether he wanted me to speak up or remain silent.

orthographic

Justin's ________________ skills improved with practice and soon anyone could read his handwriting.

satanically

Laughing ________________, the Joker shot Barbara Gordon, injuring her spine, and crippling her for life.

predisposing

Lauren's decision to release the documents is the same as ____________________ the council to vote against her.

bucolically

Leaving the city behind along with their corporate jobs, they imagined living _______________ on a small farm where they would raise vegetables for sale.

sapling

My grandfather bragged that he had watched his grandson grow from a ____________ to a mighty oak.

basal

Less than halfway into the interview, I realized the candidate for the job had no _____ experience or training.

cartographic

Lewis and Clark applied their ______________ skills, mapping the territory they explored as they trekked the Louisiana Territory.

unlimited

Lewis and Clark were in awe of the ________________ skies they beheld when they first entered the Great Plains.

torrid

Located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, the _________ zone covers almost forty percent of the Earth's surface.

capital

Milan is the fashion ___________ of Italy.

spatiality

Metaphysics moves beyond the limits of ______________ to the realms of mind and soul.

cymbal

Mom could just tolerate Randy's practicing on the drums, been when he started in on the ____________, she asked him to go to the garage.

cutlery

Mom was disappointed when none of us noticed the new _________ at our place settings.

censorship

Most American librarians oppose __________ though they will recommend age appropriate materials.

amblyopia

Most common in children, ________________ can be caused by poor alignment of the eyes, irregular shape of the eyes, or clouding of the lens in one eye.

serial

Most of Dickens' novels originally went out to the public in __________ format in newspapers.

adventurous

Most of the early astronauts were as attracted to the _________________ nature of space travel as they were to the desire to achieve what had never been done before.

cantankerous

Most people find my grandfather unpleasant, even ___________________, but I love him.

saleswoman

Most unusual for her time, Madame C. J. Walker was a successful entrepreneur whose work as a ______________________ launched her cosmetics empire.

amiable

Mr. Boorstin greeted each student with an _____________ smile and called each by his or her first name each day.

affiance

Mr. Bowles was certain Andrew would seek to ______________ his daughter at Christmastime.

commotion

Mr. Burhhart dashed out the door to see about the ______________ in the hallway and tried to stop the fight.

substituting

Mr. Dyson has been __________________ for Mrs. Peake during her maternity leave.

ultimate

Ms. Norris is the _____________ authority on all questions concerning grammar.

volcano

Mt. Fuji in Japan is an inactive _____________.

Adirondack Mountains

Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in the ____________________, rises 5344 feet.

placable

My _____________ friend always overlooks my goofs and unintended slights.

timothy

Named for Timothy Hanson who popularized the grass in the eighteenth century, ____________ is valued as a source of hay for cattle throughout the U.S. and Canada.

questionable

Of _____________________ accuracy, the statement described the accident in the vaguest detail.

optimist

Of the two siblings, Victoria tends to see the glass half empty while Dylan is an _____________.

catalpa

Offering shelter from the elements, the ___________ attracts birds.

apperceptive

Olivia possessed such an ________________ mind that she quickly took in a new experience and assimilated it into her existing understanding of the world.

speculating

Olivia prefers the hard work of experimenting and observing to mere ___________________.

spyglass

On a stand in the library stands the _____________ that belonged to my great-great-great-grandfather who sailed aboard a whaling ship.

Parcheesi

One Christmas many years ago I received as gifts Scrabble, Clue, and _______________, my favorite board games.

tiller

One brother became a farmer and the other a day laborer, the first a ________ of the soil, the second a seller of his toil.

conversation

One of my favorite memories of college is the late night ______________ that could take us into deep considerations of about the meaning of life.

society

One of the basic conflicts in literature is that of man versus ___________.

wapiti

One of the largest land mammals in North America, the __________ is also a powerful spiritual symbol for the Lakota peoples who see it as an embodiment of strength and courage.

Saipan

One of the most significant battles of World War II in the Pacific theater, the Battle of ____________ lasted for more than three weeks and left over 3,000 American troops dead and over 10,000 injured.

tribesman

Only a single local _______________ was willing to serve as our guide as we traveled toward the source of the Amazon River.

pantalets

Pictures of nineteenth-century belles dressed in hoop skirts will often depict the ankle-length _______________ worn under those skirts.

Weimaraner

Originally bred for hunting large game, the ____________________ requires more vigorous exercise than a walk around the block.

unhallowed

Originally buried in _________________ ground, years later the authorities had the body disinterred and placed in the cathedral.

balsam

Peru __________ is mildly antiseptic, used to treat wounds and ulcers.

cogency

Supporters praised Hailey for the ____________ of her arguments in defending the plan to expand city services.

transmigration

Plato taught a theory of the _____________________ of souls, one of the few European thinkers to consider that possibility.

variation

Prices for the same item offered by different sellers on e-Bay are subject to wide ______________.

croton

Primarily found in Chinese medicine, __________ is often used as a laxative.

strontium

Primary uses of ______________ include color television tubes and crimson fireworks.

appertain

Privileges that _____________ to the royal family of Great Britain date back centuries though they do not possess all that once were theirs.

pamphleteer

Probably the most famous ____________________ of the Revolutionary War era was Thomas Paine whose "Common Sense" continues to be read today.

connectivity

R2-D2's _____________ seems to extend to all computerized devices.

attar

Redolent of the ________ of violets, Emma departed for the ballroom on the arm of her latest suitor.

stinginess

Refusing to help even his own children, Carl's _______________ reached new depths when he refused to loan his son money to pay the rent on the house where Carl's only grandchildren lived.

suffragist

Susan B. Anthony was, perhaps, the most important ________________ in the movement toward the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Salome

Richard Strauss composed a one-act opera based on Oscar Wilde's story of ______________.

precipitant

Ryan's _______________ run into the burning building seemed doomed, yet he saved the child trapped within.

anarchism

Sacco and Vanzetti, convicted of murdering a guard and a paymaster in April of 1920, practiced _______________ as a political philosophy.

buffoon

Sam was embarrassed by his cousin who acted like a ______________ at the formal dinner party to which he invited him.

slothful

Samantha complained that her ____________ brother emptied one wastebasket while she dusted the entire house and vacuumed all of the carpeting.

aldermanic

Samantha's _______________ responsibilities include zoning issues, municipal projects, and city policy.

quondam

Scrooge's _______________ partner, Jacob Marley, died seven years before the beginning of the events in "A Christmas Carol".

Aristophanes

Sometimes called the "Father of Comedy," ________________ aimed his satirical wit at Socrates in the Clouds.

centralization

Supporters of the Tenth Amendment often oppose the __________ of power in Washington, DC.

cynicism

Stephanie's __________ regarding Eric's love letters broke his heart.

symptom

Swelling of the ankles can be a _______________ of heart disease or kidney failure.

bower

Sydney and Jonathan honeymooned in a rustic __________ in a rural area in Ireland.

ornithology

Sydney became interested in _________________ as a career when she did bird watching as part of a science class.

conciliator

Sydney had a remarkable record of success as a _______________ in international disputes.

prefabrication

Thanks to the _______________________ of parts at various locations, final assembly in a central location is accelerated.

sampler

That framed ____________ was hand-stitched by my grandmother's grandmother not long after she arrived in this country from Wales.

scandal

That tabloid caters to ____________ and speculation, abandoning journalistic integrity for sales.

callous

The _____________ attitudes of the guards in the concentration camp exacerbated the tortures the prisoners endured.

burnoose

The Berber leader strode into the camp, his face obscured by the hood of his dark woolen _________.

scabrous

The _____________ conundrum puzzled researchers for over a decade.

Christendom

The Bible is the most revered book in _______________.

oceanic

The _____________ currents play a significant role in weather across the globe.

close-knit

The _____________ family was unwilling to say anything that might reveal family secrets even in the face of a criminal investigation.

bowery

The Dutch patroon had bought an extensive property from the Dutch West India Company and had built an impressive ______________ along the banks of the Hudson.

Russian

The Cyrillic alphabet used by the _____________ language was developed by Orthodox priests.

codification

The Emperor Justinian is credited with the _______________ of Roman law in the time of the divided empire.

tolerance

The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights encourages _______________ for all opinions, even those we find repugnant.

ubiquity

The _____________ of cottonwood seeds in the air aggravates her asthma.

assignor

The _____________ of dorm rooms turned out to be a friend who had graduated from our high school two years before I did.

arterial

The Interstate Highway System, originally undertaken for its defense potential, has become the _____________ system of commerce and travel.

post meridiem

The Latin phrase ante ____________ and _______________________ give us the more familiar abbreviations A.M. and P.M.

vocative

The Latin word, Paule, should be translated "O Paul" because it is the _____________ form of that word.

boundary

The Mason-Dixon Line establishes an L-shaped ______________ between Pennsylvania and Maryland (its east-west leg) and between Maryland and Delaware (its north-south leg).

agreeability

The _____________ of our host's dealings with us along with her hospitality and generosity made our stay pleasant beyond our expectations.

planking

The _____________ of our remodeled floors was recovered from a mansion that was being razed.

antonym

The _____________ of synonym is _____________.

Sheba

The Queen of __________ figures in one of the most famous parts of the story of Solomon in the Bible.

aberrance

The _____________ of the governor's behavior lead, inevitably, to her impeachment.

Annapolis

The US Naval Academy is located in ______________, Maryland.

conjoin

The United States, the Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, and eleven member states of the European Space Agency decided to ___________ their resources and efforts to build and maintain the International Space Station.

antelope

The gazelle is much smaller than any other kind of ____________.

bawdily

To his mother's dismay, the young man had _____________ decorated his first apartment with suggestive prints and tawdry books.

bight

To make a slipknot requires focusing on the _______ rather than the ends of the rope.

basal metabolism

To measure your ____________________, the doctor will require you to fast for about twelve hours.

cum laude

To say that Jordan graduated _____________, is to say that he had achieved very high grades in his course work, though not the highest.

benefice

To solidify his allegiance to his cardinal, the newly named bishop received a lucrative ___________ nowhere near the diocese he governed.

advisedly

Two days later, Alexis ______________ consented to submit her name for consideration as a candidate for senator.

rhenium

Two radioactive isotopes of ______________ are used in the treatment of liver cancer.

automobile

Tyler bought his first ______________ with the earnings he saved over two years.

attitude

Tyler's contrite ____________ contrasted markedly from his usual self-assured sense of his own righteousness.

compulsion

Under ________________, Justin reluctantly agreed to escort his cousin to the dance.

austerity

Under my parents' new ___________, there would be no special treats, including birthday and holiday presents until our debt was paid off.

privateer

Under the command of Sir Francis Drake, the "Golden Hind" was a _______________ in service to England and Queen Elizabeth I.

reliant

Until I completed my course of physical therapy, I was ____________ on crutches to get around.

salicylic

Used as a food preservative, ____________ acid is also used in the manufacture of aspirin.

phenolic

Used in making disinfectant and antiseptics, ______________ also goes by the name of carbolic acid.

wormwood

Used in various alcoholic beverages since the Middle Ages, _________________ lends its name to a falling star in the Book of Revelation.

assay

VERB) The President's advisors began to ___________ the events within minutes of their commencement. (NOUN) The miner submitted a single ________ to determine the quality of the gold dust recovered from his claim.

sequin

What I thought might be a tiny diamond turned out to be nothing but a ___________.

objet d'art

What Kayla regarded as an _______________, Brandon saw as a piece of junk.

crying

What Kyle said to Mackenzie at the prom was a _________ shame.

redact

When Anna worked for the intelligence agency, one of her jobs was to ___________ documents by hiding sensitive material before releasing them to those without proper clearance.

adenoidal

When Chris's voice changed, he eventually went from an ____________ alto to a resonant baritone.

taxidermy

When Emma decided to pursue _________________ as a hobby, her mother was not pleased with the smell produced by the chemicals used in the process.

callosity

When Holmes noted the __________ on the woman's fingertips, he concluded she was a guitarist.

blue-pencil

When I asked Alex to take a look at my paper, I did not expect him to ____________ it so dramatically.

tempus fugit

Whenever dad is ready to leave, he calls out "____________________!"

bird's-eye

Working from a helicopter, the photographer captured a ________________ view of the city.

vaccinate

Worldwide, only smallpox has been completely wiped out by ________________, but polio could soon be next to disappear.

vermicide

Wormwood is a ________________ known of since the Middle Ages.

tripoli

You can find __________ in a specific region of Africa.

catkin

You may examine examples of a ______________ on the birch, the willow, the hickory, or the sweet chestnut tree among other plants.

Russia

__________ spans eleven time zones.

owing

____________ to the bank's mistake, I regained over a hundred dollars in past earnings.

Oceania

______________ is the second-least populous area on Earth, after Antarctica.

Abu Dhabi

_______________ is the capital of a emirate that bears the same name.

conduction

_______________ takes place in all phases of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.

proscriptively

the rising cost of fuel has _____________________ impacted travel.

satirizing

For over forty years, the cast of SNL have been _______________ social trends, customs, and politics in the United States, with varying degrees of success.

cologne

For reasons known only to her, my mother gave me for Christmas a bottle of the __________ that I wore when I was a teenager, before I knew how strong its odor actually was.

pumpernickel

I first encountered _____________________ when I had my first turkey sandwich at Shapiro's delicatessen.

tremendous

I had to share with everyone I knew the ___________________ book I had just finished reading.

zeugma

"As Hunter sat beside Nicole at the end of the lakeside dock, he fished for trout and compliments" is an example of the construction called ____________.

acoustic

I helped my dad install ___________ tiles in the basement we were remodeling for use by his band.

surcingle

A training _______________ or roller has padding to protect the horse's spine.

paralleled

A local access road ___________________ the interstate highway for about six miles.

Anglophile

A long-time __________, my wife reads British novels and prefers British television to American fare.

peregrine

A loyal group of ________________ workers followed the candidate from primary to primary.

Omar Khayyam

A luminary of the Islamic Golden Age, ____________________ became known to Westerners primarily through Edward FitzGerald's translation of his poems, called rubaiyat.

ataxia

A marked deficiency of Vitamin B12 may cause _______________, among other health problems.

Southerner

A native __________________ transplanted to New England, he often felt homesick for the food, the climate, and the spirit of Georgia.

olein

A new Danish study indicates that palm __________, once thought to be healthy, may act more like lard.

veterinary

A new _________________ hospital has opened on the corner where the grocery used to stand.

pelisse

A nineteenth-century British army officer wore a ______________ as an ornament added to his uniform

Arcturus

A red giant, ____________ is the fourth brightest star in the night sky.

condenser

A refrigerator _____________ gets rid of the heat extracted from the interior of the unit to the outside air.

tongue

Adept at languages, Grace mastered in less than six months the native ___________ of the tribe she had come to study.

remittance

I included __________________ for the rent and utilities in the envelope I mailed to the landlord.

simplified

I know the instructions are supposed to have been ________________, but I still can't follow them.

querying

After ________________ the witness for nearly half an hour, the detective took his leave, but returned the next day to ask more questions.

removing

After __________________ all the furniture from the room, we cleaned the carpeting thoroughly.

withstanding

After ___________________ the hurricane winds of Harvey, the house tragically burned to the ground because firetrucks could not reach it.

relish

After a double workout with the football team, we tore into the evening meal with ___________.

bottling

After a lifetime of ___________ up her emotions, Marge finally exploded in a rage when her husband brought an unexpected guest to dinner on the evening of their anniversary.

vegetate

After a ten-hour day at work, I typically plop down on the couch and _____________ in front of the television set.

prating

After an hour I had had enough of her mindless ____________ and left, pretending I would be right back.

reducible

After analyzing the operation for three months, the efficiency expert determined that costs were _______________ by improving and communication between branches.

pathetically

After being caught coming in well after curfew, he ___________________ made one unbelievable excuse after another.

ratifying

After finally _______________ the amendment, the Congressmen celebrated the milestone they had enacted.

venturing

After first ______________ into space in 1961, America landed a man on the moon in just a little more than eight years later.

surly

After five minutes of dealing with the ________ salesperson, I decided to leave and look elsewhere for a sweater.

unlimber

After going years with no meaningful exercise, I have to admit I am utterly ______________, finding even walking up a staircase difficult.

rescind

After hearing from the sub-committee, the group voted to ____________ the new membership rules that would have restricted membership in the club.

plausibility

After hearing the thorough explanation of the director's plan, everyone applauded its ________________.

archduchess

An _____________ ranks directly below a queen.

omnipresent

An __________________ fear engulfed the city as the gang fighting grew more violent and widespread.

conciliatory

After their fight over what turned out to be a misunderstanding, Christian's ____________ words won Rachel's forgiveness.

convalescence

After waking from a month-long coma, I required a three-month ________________.

cuddled

After we got home from the vet, I ___________ with my puppy for the rest of the evening.

overbearing

After working for one month with our ____________________ chairperson, I resigned from the committee in disgust.

reputation

After years of serving the community, our local mechanic has a ________________ for expertise and honesty.

cruelly

Alexandra __________ toyed with Gabriel's affections until she could go back to her former boyfriend.

capable

Already a ____________ instructor when she began her career, Cindy grew into a master teacher quickly.

alkaline

An ____________ substance, the opposite of an acidic substance, has a pH value greater than 7.

antigen

An _____________ causes an immune response.

alumna

An _____________ of Notre Dame in South Bend, Condoleeza Rice graduated with a Master of Arts degree in political science in 1975.

revengeful

Because Austin had always exhibited a ___________________ nature, we were all suspicious when he publicly forgave Ben for hitting his parked car with a city services truck.

reflex

Closing the eyes when sneezing is a __________ action.

couturier

Coco Chanel is probably the most famous French ____________ in history.

peonage

Congress outlawed _________________ in 1867, thus ending the practice of employers compelling workers to pay off debts with work.

osteopathy

Contemporary practitioners of _________________ use the diagnostic and therapeutic techniques of conventional medicine in addition to muscle manipulation.

baguette

During our first visit to a Parisian open market, we purchased a _______________, some brie, and a bottle of inexpensive wine.

authorizing

Documents ________________ their departure from the country came after weeks of legal proceedings in two countries.

Sumatra

Dr. Watson mentions, but never tells, the story of Sherlock Holmes and the giant rat of _____________.

appalling

Drivers in the lanes opposite the _______________ accident slowed to a crawl, backing up traffic for miles.

unforeseen

Due to __________________ circumstances, we will not be able to attend the concert this weekend after all.

perigee

During a total solar eclipse, the moon is at _____________ and the sun, in most cases, is at apogee.

abbacy

During the _____________ of Dom Paulo, the monks of Leibowitz hosted a secular scholar who claimed to trust only objective evidence but maintained his subjective prejudice in all matters of religion.

satchel

Each day I carried a nylon ___________ containing my gym clothes, athletic shoes, a towel, and soap.

rebut

Each debater would get the opportunity to ________ his or her opponent's arguments.

streamer

Each member of the color guard carried a bright red _______________ for this portion of their performance.

chanticleer

Each morning the proud crowing of our prize ______________ awoke us to the morning's work.

supersede

Each new cell phone seems quickly to ________________ all that came before it.

patriarchy

Each state in Bronze Age Greece was essentially a _________________.

toneless

Each time the professor began another ______________ monologue, I began to doze.

saddlery

Eager to work with his hands and lead a simpler life, Jacob opened a _____________ in a small Western town after giving up his career as a banker.

adenoid

Enlargement of the __________ can obstruct the flow of air from the nose to the extent that inhalation can be achieved only through the mouth.

cached

Escaping slaves, ____________ in caves, barns, secret rooms, and attics by day, were led by "conductors" of the Underground Railroad northward toward freedom under cover of night.

sangfroid

Even as others began to panic, the colonel went about the business of organizing a defense with the ________________ of a professional gambler betting on a single pair.

primitive

Even the most ________________ forms of life have been preserved in fossils.

calibrate

Even though Americans continue to resist the metric system, they still ____________ their scientific instruments to it rather than the English system.

creditable

Even though she had never acted before, Marilyn had delivered a _____________ performance in the role of Juliet.

arbutus

Flowers appear on the ______________ even while the berries from the previous year are ripening.

solemnity

Few events, if any, surpass the _______________ of a Presidential funeral as Americans have witnessed more than once.

survive

Few of the victims of the Nazi Holocaust still _____________ to tell the stories of their experiences in the concentration camps.

vanilla

First cultivated by the pre-Columbian peoples of Mesoamerica, ___________ made its way to Europe by way of the returning Hernan Cortez who brought back chocolate as well.

petard

First made in France in the 1500s, the ____________ typically was a conical or rectangular device filled with five or six pounds of gunpowder.

operatic

First noticed by her music teacher, Brianna's _____________ vocal qualities led her to a career at the New York Metropolitan Opera.

temperamental

Fitting the stereotype of the ______________________ artist, Clyde can be sympathetic and friendly one moment but cold and combative the next.

countermand

Five minutes after the colonel gave the order to evacuate, the general decided to ________________ that order and instead commanded the army to prepare for another assault.

resumption

Floridians rejoiced at the _________________ of state-wide power, weeks after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma.

peony

From 1931 to 1957, the zinnia was Indiana's state flower, but the ______________ replaced it in 1957 when the Indiana General Assembly adopted the usually red, pink, or sometimes white flower.

parapet

From high atop the castle's _____________ a French soldier flung insults at King Arthur and Patsie.

position

From our ____________ at the top of the hill, we could survey the entire site of the nineteenth-century battlefield.

contraband

From the beginning of the embargo against Cuba, cigars from Havana were regarded as ________________.

sedulous

His _______________ study of the source materials paid off when the only essay question on the final exam required detailed knowledge of those documents.

porridge

Goldilocks may have eaten the most famous ______________ in literature.

sharpshooter

Having progressed from marksman to ____________________, Matt aspired to earning expert status as a military rifleman.Sheba

ballad

Having gained fame as a ______________ singer, she surprised everyone when her new album was entirely hip-hop.

abjectly

Having lost the will to make a decision or even to have a preference, Jacob ______________ surrendered to his overbearing aunt.

stalker

Having noticed the same stranger walking by the house three times in one afternoon, Liv started to fear he might be another ___________.

univalent

Having only one electron, hydrogen is a _______________ element.

trouser

He didn't know what to do with his hands so he put them in his _____________ pockets.

apocrypha

He sprinkles most of his speeches with _____________ that he claims to be true though he never provides a verifiable origin for them.

chairman

He taught for forty years, serving the last thirteen of them as the department ______________ for English.

resource

He views his father as a ________________ of experience and wisdom.

twitcher

I could only honestly describe myself as a dancer with the word ____________.

assertive

I encouraged both my son and my daughter to be _____________ without becoming argumentative or combative.

precipitate

I fear another international incident will ______________ a massive sell-off of stocks and result in another crash.

obviate

Helmet laws are an effort to ______________ serious head injuries in motorcycle accidents.

attaint

Henry VIII caused a bill to be brought into parliament to ___________ Elizabeth Barton, a nun who had prophesied against Anne Boleyn.

construing

His exceptional powers of observation and analysis made his ____________ the facts in the case accurately highly likely.

scampish

His grandchildren's _______________ antics amused him both as he watched them and as he recounted the stories to this friends.

unorganized

His mom was not surprised to discover his dorm room was ___________________, just like his bedroom at home.

tousled

His mother carefully combed her son's ____________ hair before he sat for his photograph.

applique

His mother sewed on an embroidered _____________ of the Green Lantern's symbol to the little boy's jacket.

predetermine

His political preparation team helped him to ____________________ answers to nearly every question he might be asked at the press conference.

penniless

His wallet and phone stolen, Mark found himself ________________ in a strange city.

buttonhole

His wife had slipped a sprig of rosemary through the ______________ on the lapel of his suit coat.

attributive

His writing style eliminated any ______________ phrasing not absolutely necessary to his argument, letting the verbs do the hard work.

pluvial

Houston was devastated by the __________ event brought on by Hurricane Harvey last summer.

confluence

Huck and Jim had meant to leave their raft and escape into freedom near the ______________ of the Ohio and the Mississippi, but they missed it and proceeded deeper into the South.

viviparous

Humans, like most other mammals, are _________________.

consanguineous

Hunter felt as close to his adopted brother as he did to his two _________________ sisters.

vaguely

I _____________ remembered the face in the photograph, but I could not recall the person's name.

vesicular

I actually enjoy _______________ prayers.

perspicacious

I always like to have Morgan join me when I am interviewing a prospective employee because of her ____________________ judgment of character.

rarely

I am ___________ admitted to the doctor's consulting room at the scheduled time of my appointment.

acutely

I became ___________ aware of the challenges I would be facing in the new classroom as I reviewed the records of my new students.

certiorari

If a party wants the Supreme Court to review a decision of a lower court, that party must file a writ of ______________.

reverse

If a word is a palindrome, it will read the same as it appears if you ____________ the arrangement of its letters.

slacken

If any one of us should ____________ our grip on the rope during the tug-of-war, we will surely lose.

probating

If the estate had been held in a trust prior to the man's death, his family wouldn't have been ________________ his will now.

resentment

If the work you are asked to do is going to cause _________________ of those in charge, you are not volunteering in the right spirit.

complicity

If you are found guilty of ________________ in a crime, your punishment can be exactly the same as the person who pulled the trigger.

blarney

If you ask my uncle why he is out of work, you will get a lot of ______________ about his last three bosses having it in for him and his skills not being appreciated.

bemire

If you go there now, the mud in the garden will _____________ your dress shoes.

roundness

If you have a wide, face of ________________, don't over-pluck your eyebrows.

retrace

If you have misplaced something, it is helpful to ___________ your movements back to the time you last saw it.

tetanus

If you suffer no puncture wounds during the interval, you should get a booster shot ten years after your initial ______________ vaccination.

reptilian

Ike's ______________ underhandedness has lost him almost every friend he has ever had.

quarantine

Immigrants were sometimes kept in ________________ after debarking from the ships that brought them to New York harbor in an effort to determine if they carried diseases.

commutation

In light of the convicted man's history of humanitarianism, his lawyer appealed to the governor for ______________ of the death sentence.

amnesty

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln proposed a plan that would grant _____________ to the Confederate states and allow for reunification with the Union.

prelacy

In medieval Europe, a person might be charged with offenses under the civil government or the _____________.

sagebrush

In Native American medical practice, __________________ is used to prevent infection, to stop internal bleeding, and to treat both headaches and colds.

accordance

In _______________ with tradition, Hannah placed the crown on the new Miss Indiana as it had been placed on her the previous year.

quid pro quo

In a ______________________ arrangement, the doctor offered his services to the lawyer in exchange for looking over some legal papers.

certitude

In an age of skepticism, I admire her ______________ regarding the tenets of her faith.

cobblestone

In an effort to recreate the historical setting of the eighteenth-century village, the designers had called for _________ streets and thatched roofs.

about-face

In an unexpected ______________, the senator announced she no longer supported the bill she had herself proposed.

oppose

In exchange for Anna's support of my bill, I agree not to __________ her bill.

stingier

In fact, Jacob Marley was remarkably ____________ and more disreputable than Ebenezer Scrooge.

acceptance

In her ____________ speech following her nomination to run for governor, Madison thanked her supporters and reviewed her personal goals.

titanium

In industry, _____________ is used to remove oxygen and nitrogen from steel and to toughen it; in art, it is used to make a white pigment.

aghast

In ineffable shock, the family of four stood ________ before their beloved home and gazed as flames consumed it.

transfuse

In order to ______________ blood into our patient, we will need to determine her type and make sure we have that type on hand.

traditional

In our house, the _______________ breakfast on Christmas morning consisted of hot tea, sweet rolls, and my attempt at green eggs and ham.

proscription

In our town, the long-standing ________________ against riding bicycles and skateboards on the sidewalks is almost universally ignored.

wimple

In periods of medieval Christendom when it was considered unseemly for a married woman to show her hair, the _____________ was a necessary fashion accessory.

conferring

In response to the parent meeting, the teachers began ______________ regarding how best to facilitate these three seniors' study habits.

Semite

In terms of linguistics, a ____________ is someone who speaks one of the languages arising chiefly in the Levant, such as Hebrew or Arabic.

phenomenal

In the entire history of the Olympics, the ___________________ winning record of Michael Phelps stands above all others.

righteousness

In the face of the consequences of the popular decision, the citizens came to realize the _____________________ of the plan the councilwoman had proposed instead.

concede

In the light of reports from the polling places, Destiny had to __________ her loss to her opponent.

rumpling

In the silence of the testing room, even the _______________ of paper could be a distraction.

uncommon

In the week since my wife returned home from the hospital, we have received an __________________ amount of mail.

appositive

In this sentence, the one you are reading, the phrase set off by commas is called an ______________.

altercate

Inevitably, when the two cousins came together they would ______________ over the first issue to arise, no matter how small.

boycotter

It seemed hypocritical that the ______________ protesting the importation of steel had no qualms about the importation of Cuban cigars.

solution

It took me three days to reach a ______________ to the math problem Professor Landy posed to the class.

pretension

It turned out that Ethan's claim to wealth was merely __________________ revealed by his inability to pay his bills.

residuary

It turns out that the _______________ heir had been left nearly half a million dollars in real estate.

sanctity

It was forbidden to violate the ____________ of the ceremony by allowing unbelievers to participate or even to observe.

Tripoli

It was so hot when we arrived in ___________ that we started to sweat as soon as we got off the plane

bullock

Jasmine named the ____________ she would raise and show as her 4-H project Ferdinand after a character from her favorite children's story.

wounded

Jason's pride was _______________ more profoundly than his body when he fell over the final hurdle in the race.

agrarian

Jefferson's vision of the United States amounted to a well-educated, ____________ republic.

viticulture

Jennifer and her sisters studied _________________ under their parents and managed on the family winery after their parents had retired.

capitulate

Jennifer would not _______________ to Sam's pleas that she marry him until he had completed college and gotten a reliable job.

splendiferous

Jessica exuberantly described her first trip abroad as a ____________________ experience.

teenager

Jessica looked forward to being a _______________ herself from the time her older sister turned thirteen.

antediluvian

Joe's __________________ ideas about men not cleaning the house or washing dishes made him less attractive to Susan than she had originally felt.

postman

Joe's dad was a _______________ for almost forty years, and Joe has followed in his footsteps.

vermicelli

Jon prepared Sydney _________________ with onions, carrots, celery, beans, corn, ginger, and garlic in a stir-fry.

particularity

Jon's ____________________ about measurement is one of the qualities that made him a much sought after carpenter.

configuration

Jose had a remarkable talent for recognizing any automobile from any era by its ______________ alone.

achingly

Joshua wrote _____________ expressive love letters to his wife during his time on duty overseas.

presentiment

Kalya had an eerie ______________________ that the storm would wipe out the entire town.

publisher

Karen Ferguson is the ______________ of the "Indianapolis Star", a daily newspaper in the state capital since 1903.

virtuosity

Kelly's ________________ as a bassoon player was recognized by the entire orchestra.

seaminess

Kinnear undercuts the _________________ of the Crane story, and shows us a man with more dimension and complexity than his behavior might suggest.

supplication

Kneeling in ___________________, the priest offered up prayers for the safety and welfare of his parishioners.

venal

Knowing the deep corruption of that judge, I have no trouble believing Anderson's was a _________ acquittal.

wastepaper

Logan has a ___________________ basket shaped like R2-D2.

phonograph

Long before I began to stream my music, I owned a _________________ on which I played an extensive collection of vinyl recordings.

procurator

Long believed to hold the office of ________________ in ancient Judea, Pontius Pilate was, in fact, a prefect, according to a recent archaeological discovery.

sentimental

Looking through a box of photographs from their childhood made my mom and her siblings ___________________ as they remembered good times with their now deceased parents.

brotherly

Looking through the pictures taken in our childhood brought back memories of the __________ adventures we had camping, fishing, and hunting together.

patron

Lorenzo the Magnificent of the house of Medici was a ____________ of Michelangelo.

Sibelius

Much of the work of ____________ was inspired by the Finnish national epic, The Kalevala.

vociferant

Much to his lawyer's dismay, the _________________ client was making this situation worse each time he made an outburst in court.

zoned

Much to our dismay, the lot at the corner of our neighborhood has been __________ for commercial building.

appraisal

Much to the owners' surprise, the ____________ of the old clock came in at ten to twelve thousand dollars.

supervisory

My ___________________ duties included directing the development of curriculum, ensuring alignment with academic standards, and evaluation of the staff.

renown

Now a singer of considerable ___________, Alison used to be in the school choir with me when we were both shy freshmen.

registrable

Now that his son was of ________________ age, he took him to tour the school and enroll him for the fall term.

serially

On a table at the graduation party she held for me, my mother had arranged my high school awards ____________ from freshman through senior year

bulkier

Once I stepped outdoors, I realized I would need at least a sweater far ____________ than the thin pullover I was wearing.

sewing

Once a necessary housekeeping skill, today most Americans see ____________ as a hobby.

polish

Once the two speech writers _________ the governor's address, it should have exactly the impact she desires.

association

Our _____________ that began as lab partners in freshman biology grew into a lifelong friendship.

admiralty

Passed over for promotion twice, Rickover finally achieved his _____________ status when President Truman and the Secretary of the Navy intervened on his behalf.

ataxic

Patients suffering from dysfunction of the cerebellum may exhibit slurring of speech, tremor of the voice, and ________ respiration.

beadle

Perhaps the most famous ____________ in English literature is Mr. Bumble who supervises the parish workhouse and orphanage where Oliver Twist finds himself early in the novel.

Scotsman

Perhaps the most famous _______________ to make his name as a poet is Robert Burns.

scientific

So intent was she on her _____________ investigation of the pathogen that she forgot it was her wedding day.

surmise

Seeing your bags packed and placed by the door with an overcoat draped over them and an umbrella propped next to them, I _____________ that you are going travelling.

chain-smoke

Seventy years ago it would not have been uncommon to see an expectant father nervously ___________________ in the waiting area of a maternity ward while his wife was in a delivery room.

collusively

Several government figures had worked ______________ to undermine the new law.

caramel

She had mixed ____________ with the cake batter to produce a sweetly delicious treat.

collarbone

She leapt from the chicken house roof, expecting me to catch her; but when I didn't, she broke her ________________.

courageous

She won a bronze star for her _____________ efforts during the battle.

summa cum laude

Sheldon graduated _______________________________ from both undergraduate and graduate school.

abundance

Shirley's garden flourished with an _______________ of blossoms in great variety.

Ping-Pong

Since 1988, ___________________ has been an Olympic sport, played during the summer games.

admonition

Since Ashley had never broken a rule in her entire school career, the principal let her go with an ______________ never to sign a parental permission form until she was a mother herself.

cosmography

Since the time of Copernicus, man's models of ______________ have changed and continue to change.

Cro-Magnon

Skeletal remains found in an Aurignacian cave in southern France indicate that the _______________ had long heads, broad faces, and sunken eyes, and reached a height of approximately 5 feet 9 inches.

succulence

So great was the _________________ of the fruit that one bite released juice that ran down my chin.

statehood

Some citizens of Puerto Rico have sought ________________ for the island, but it is unlikely to become a state until a second island of opposing politics also seeks the same status.

panacea

Some herbalists have championed ginseng as a ______________, but there is no scientific proof for such a claim.

allegorist

Some rank Samuel Butler, author of The Pilgrim's Progress, as the most famous _____________ in English prose.

aphrodisiac

Some say power is an _________________.

wormhole

Some scientists believe that a _______________ may be a means of traveling interstellar distances without actually traversing the light-years between two points.

aggrandizement

Some social critics complain of the ________________ of criminals in film at the expense of the image of the police.

puritanism

Some social justice warriors exhibit a kind of _______________ that attempts to impose their values on everyone.

Oxonian

Surprising, perhaps, to some, actor Hugh Grant is an _______________.

terseness

Taylor interpreted the ________________ of Andrew's message as brusqueness rather than brevity and cancelled their date.

regulator

Taylor is just one ______________ among hundreds in the Department of Commerce who frames and enforces rules of trade within the United States.

assignment

Taylor never went to sleep without having completed every school ______________ for the next day.

stratagem

Taylor's _______________ could well preserve the hedge fund's holdings despite the government's arresting their CEO and attempts to freeze all the company's assets.

pedagogy

Technology, for good or ill, has challenged and changed traditional _________________.

whitebait

Tender and delicious, _______________ are generally consumed whole.

subversion

The FBI successfully disrupted the planned __________________ of the American monetary system by foreign hackers.

objurgate

The Secretary of State did not hesitate to _______________ the ambassador's refusal to address the extradition request.

saintly

The Shakers led somewhat ____________ and definitely simple lives.

chronicler

The Venerable Bede was the ______________ of the history of British history who wrote The Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

bole

The ______ of the ancient oak measured more than six feet in circumference.

calcination

The _______ of limestone drives off carbon dioxide.

topaz

The _________ categorized as the "birthstone" for October is generally the orange imperial _________.

Budapest

The beautiful city of _____________ grew from two cities separated by the Danube, Buda on the west bank and Pest on the east.

provincialism

The beauty of the village and the countryside were unfortunately marred by the _____________________ and superstition of many of the citizens.

Bethlehem

The birthplace of both David and Jesus, ____________ is the namesake of many American towns.

chickadee

The black-capped _____________ is the state bird of Maine.

civet

The body of the _____________ resembles a cat's while the head is more similar to that of an otter.

vitiation

The book recounts the _____________ of even formerly virtuous men by the temptations of luxury and power.

buffoonery

The boys' _______________ was more appropriate in a locker room than at a prom.

serrated

The bread knife has a ______________ edge.

threshold

The bride, always one to defy custom, carried the groom across the _______________ of their new home.

petaled

The brilliantly _______________ flowers of her expansive garden brought color to the property throughout three of the four seasons.

chargeable

The burglary was Vinnie's third _____________ offense in two years.

presently

The butler announced that our host would join us ________________.

stentorian

The candidate's _______________ voice could be heard throughout the auditorium without electronic amplification.

apostatize

The candidate's personality caused many to _______________ and form a new political party to oppose her.

versicle

The cantor would sing the ______________, and the congregation would then sing the response.

Syria

The capital of _________ is Damascus, one of the oldest continuously occupied urban centers in world history.

aspect

They studied every ___________ of the question.

cutlass

This __________ belonged to my great-great-great-grandfather who fought in the Civil War.

psalm

This __________ is attributed to Deborah whose deeds are recounted in the Book of Judges.

taunter

This particular bully was a ____________ who used social media to insult and mock her victims.

reconsider

Though I had initially turned down the invitation, I decided to _________________ going when I realized all my friends would be there.

toothsome

Though I had never tried Ethiopian cuisine, I found it delightfully _________________.

cryptic

Though I had read the __________ note several times, I still had no idea what my friend was trying to tell me.

creditor

Though I had still paid off most of the business's debts, the bank remained my most difficult ____________ to satisfy.

anchovy

Thom would not eat even one bite of the pizza once he detected the odor of ______________.

salon

Those present in the ________ that afternoon included three emerging painters, two controversial authors, an adviser to the prime minister, and several patrons of the arts.

obeying

Those who make the rules should have no problem ______________ them, but they sometimes do.

opine

Though Alex remained nearly silent during most department meetings, he would occasionally stir and __________ on the issue under discussion.

academically

Though Emily excelled athletically, she did not achieve the same success ________________.

acclimation

Though Hannah had moved several times in her life, she still experienced a difficult period of _______________ before feeling comfortable in her new home.

table d'hote

Though I am accustomed to paying for the food I order a la carte (by the item), I know that the offerings of a finer restaurant will be __________________.

vinaigrette

Though I can no longer eat creamy dressings, I like a raspberry ________________ on my salads.

sincerity

Though I do value ______________, I rank integrity, honesty, and transparency even higher.

Venice

Though once one of the most powerful city-states on the Italian Peninsulas during the Renaissance, after the Napoleonic Wars, ___________ was absorbed by the Austrian Empire until becoming part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

xenophobia

Though raised in an atmosphere of ____________________, Morgan mastered four languages and traveled the world as a diplomat.

pasteurize

Today, we not only __________________ milk but also many canned foods, juices, and syrups, among other food products.

cavern

Tom, Huck and Becky went into the ___________ to explore, but they found more than they could have imagined.

blazon

Tomorrow's Internet news will _____________ the hitherto secret location of Wakanda, hidden from the world's eyes for millennia.

arbiter

We agreed that Ms. Battamire would serve as an ______________ with whose ruling we all agree in advance to abide.

priding

We all felt Anna was justified in ____________ herself in her achievement as the first female firefighter in our town.

Sabbath

We all looked forward to our ______________ rest.

blooming

We arrived in Washington, DC, in time to see the ________________ of the cherry trees,

shadier

We chose a far ___________ area for our lunchtime picnic than the front of the building.

swelter

We continued to ___________ in the intense desert sun, our supply of water exhausted and no shady oasis in sight.

totter

We could all see the building begin to __________ as we watched the live feed from Mexico on the day the earthquake hit.

relaxedly

We drove _________________ down a county road, far from the bustle and noise of the interstate.

sylvan

We enjoyed our picnic in a ___________ grove, shaded by the trees and secluded from the rest of the park.

resourcefully

We evaluated the candidates' abilities to deal ______________________ with the challenges they might face in the field.

panhandle

We found a beach on the Florida _________________ where we have vacationed for the past four years.

superfluity

When she opened her closet door, she revealed a ________________ of shoes.

offsetting

With Anna's contribution __________________ the debt we owed, we were now able to move forward with our plans.

avuncular

With _____________ affection though having no children of his own, the old man gave the young children of the congregation sweets and presents on their birthdays.

poignant

With ______________ regret the two parted at the train station, knowing they would probably never meet again.

accustom

With each move, Hannah would ____________ herself to a new work environment, a new apartment, and new friends.

snippier

With each question I asked, she gave me a _____________ reply, making me wonder why she had ever consented to going on a date with me.

thriftier

With her command of coupons far surpassing my own, I must admit that Olivia is a _____________ shopper than I am.

basically

With neither training nor practical experience, Kayla is ____________ unqualified for any job currently available in this company.

cistern

With no well available, the water in their frontier cabin came from a ___________ where rain collected.

alumnus

With seven more to join his ranks over the years, John Adams was the first _____________ of Harvard to serve as President of the United States.

sterling

With such ____________ character, she would make a perfect candidate to run for the seat recently vacated by the senator convicted of corruption.

stabilizer

With the ______________ malfunctioning, I was not sure if we could safely land the plane.

sapience

With the _______________ that comes from a full life lived well, the teacher adapted each year to the challenges of an evolving student population.

quintupling

Within a year of making her investment, Beth's return was within a few dollars of ____________________ her original outlay.

Roman numeral

You probably recognize the ________________________ X as meaning "ten," but did you know that D means "five hundred"?

suppositional

Your ____________________ arguments mean little with no evidence to back them up or even demonstrate a threat to our safety.

returnable

Your purchase is _________________ at any time so long as you have the original tags and receipt.

barbless

Zachary claimed that _____________ fishhooks were somewhat more humane.

pithy

Zander could sum up an argument with a __________ pronouncement that left his opponents dumbstruck.