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Ten Words from Today's NY Times - July 18, 2012

Ripped from the headlines! See full stories here: Jihadists’ Fierce Justice Drives Thousands to Flee Mali, Caution, Not Flash, as Romney Seeks His No. 2, and In Graying Priesthood, New York’s Grayest Keeps Faith in Bronx.
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Full list of words from this list:

  1. ostensibly
    from appearances alone
    Refugees from such places as Timbuktu, Goundam, Gao and Kidal described witnessing repeated whippings, beatings and other punishments in the streets, ostensibly for having violated strict Islamic law, and some of those who fled said they had been subjected to this harsh justice themselves.
  2. corroborate
    support with evidence or authority or make more certain
    American counterterrorism experts express concerns that Mali could turn into a magnet for international terrorists, but they say that such reports have not yet been corroborated.
  3. venerable
    profoundly honored
    The Islamists in Timbuktu have destroyed at least a half-dozen venerable above-ground tombs of holy men revered in the ancient city, proclaiming them contrary to Shariah, a legal code based on Islam.
  4. posit
    take as a given; assume as a postulate or axiom
    Many Malians follow a line of belief that posits a more mystical, personal relation with the deity.
  5. junta
    a group of officers who rule a country after seizing power
    In late March, army officers angry over the government’s handling of a rebellion by nomadic Tuareg rebels in the north rose up in a coup d’état, installing a military junta under an American-trained officer after two decades of elected governments.
  6. deploy
    use or distribute systematically or strategically
    Aides have begun discussing how to deploy Mr. Romney’s running mate on the trail and at fund-raisers.
  7. delve
    turn up, loosen, or remove earth
    The campaign’s questionnaire delves deeply into the personal and professional lives of the potential candidate, his or her spouse, any previous spouses and immediate family members.
  8. autonomous
    free from external control and constraint
    Determined to avoid the frustrations and tensions of the past, Mr. Romney’s team is taking steps to ensure that the eventual running mate — and his or her staff — functions as a true extension of the campaign, not as an autonomous political operation.
  9. pivotal
    being of crucial importance
    A personal connection to the candidate, people close to the campaign said, is likely to be pivotal.
  10. embroider
    decorate with needlework
    Father Ryan slipped his white alb over his black suit and placed his red stole, embroidered with trees and animals, over his shoulders.
Created on Wed Jul 18 09:28:43 EDT 2012 (updated Wed Jul 18 09:33:22 EDT 2012)

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