120 Words Every 12th Grader Should Know: List 5

She applied the medication in an attempt to assuage a toothache, they wrote. Fox News (Sep 19, 2019)

He brandished his hot dog skewer at full arm’s length, like a sword. The Season of Styx Malone

“All these ambitious plans are contingent on funding,” he said. Washington Post (Nov 9, 2021)

“I’m sorry,” Grace said to her, and in her defense, she really did look contrite. Far from the Tree

She believed, however, that she could soon disabuse Lucy of whatever false impressions she now held. Chase, Josephine

Naipaul is a difficult, imperfect narrator who does not care to be liked, but he is an honest one and doesn't dissemble. The Guardian (Aug 28, 2010)

Porter, Guitar, Freddie the janitor, and three or four other men were exploding, shouting angry epithets all over the room. Song of Solomon

Every headline would be a call to action, with a verb exhorting you — the reader — to learn, to grow, to investigate, to understand, to question. New York Times (May 29, 2021)

Coach Wooden believed in positive communication that inculcated them with values of humanity, fair play, responsibility to the team and fairness. New York Times (Jan 15, 2016)

To mollify farmers, a big part of his base, the president announced billions of dollars in aid to farmers. Washington Times (Jul 9, 2019)

Sometimes I am as ornery and stubborn as an old donkey. Walk Two Moons

Nearby, cameras flashed, capturing the historic moment for posterity. Washington Post (Nov 7, 2021)

How can they entertain audiences with dull, prosaic dialogue? Washington Post (May 24, 2017)

He was so close that Malcolm could smell his skin, which was redolent of mud, and fishes, and weeds. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage

“The Siesta” captures the sweet repose of two peasants napping in the sunshine beneath a hay bale. Washington Post (Feb 19, 2015)

"I am what I am because I was industrious; whoever is equally sedulous will be equally successful." Tubbs, Frank Herbert

So, with all this in mind, how do you tell spurious comments and reviews from genuine ones? The Guardian (Mar 7, 2011)

Unlike Mao, he seeks the tacit support of the people, rather than their active intervention. The Guardian (Oct 24, 2017)

I did not dwell on the situation at Fort Hare, but life has a way of forcing decisions on those who vacillate. Long Walk to Freedom

He frets about the wanton vandalism at the garden. Seattle Times (Aug 9, 2021)