40 Verbal Reasoning questions — 20 synonym, 20 sentence completion — in the ISEE's own four-option format. Every answer is explained, and every question links to its word's full study page.
Select the best synonym for the word “rob”:
C — steal. “rob” means v. to steal from someone or somewhere. Study “rob” →
His ______ directions left us confused and hopelessly lost in the city.
D — imprecise. “imprecise” means adj. not exact or accurate. Study “imprecise” →
Select the best synonym for the word “comparison”:
D — contrast. “comparison” means n. the act of comparing. Study “comparison” →
The ______ speech brought many people in the huge crowd to tears.
B — emotional. “emotional” means adj. related to feelings. Study “emotional” →
Select the best synonym for the word “fierce”:
C — ferocious. “fierce” means adj. very strong or violent. Study “fierce” →
She simply could not remember the ______ of the movie they had just watched.
B — title. “title” means n. the name of a book, movie, or other work. Study “title” →
Select the best synonym for the word “grow”:
C — expand. “grow” means v. to increase in size or amount. Study “grow” →
The ______ horse limped slowly along and could not run at all.
A — lame. “lame” means adj. unable to walk properly because of an injury or illness. Study “lame” →
Select the best synonym for the word “action”:
D — deed. “action” means n. the process of doing something to achieve an aim. Study “action” →
With such a weak, tired team, the crushing loss was sadly ______.
C — unavoidable. “unavoidable” means adj. not able to be prevented. Study “unavoidable” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “price”:
D — cost. “price” means n. the amount of money expected or required in payment for something. Study “price” →
The ______ old phrase had slowly lost all of its original meaning.
A — overused. “overused” means adj. used too often. Study “overused” →
Select the best synonym for the word “clearness”:
D — clarity. “clearness” means n. the quality of being easy to see or understand. Study “clearness” →
The tired cat curled up ______ in the warm little basket.
A — comfortably. “comfortably” means adv. in a way that provides comfort. Study “comfortably” →
Select the best synonym for the word “dodge”:
C — evade. “dodge” means v. to move quickly to avoid something. Study “dodge” →
The cold night air made the lost child ______ under her thin, worn coat.
D — shiver. “shiver” means v. to shake slightly because of cold or fear. Study “shiver” →
Select the best synonym for the word “pollute”:
C — contaminate. “pollute” means v. to make something dirty or harmful to the environment. Study “pollute” →
They could just barely see the ______ mountains on the far horizon.
D — distant. “distant” means adj. far away in space or time. Study “distant” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “success”:
D — accomplishment. “success” means n. the achievement of a goal or purpose. Study “success” →
Every autumn, the busy squirrels ______ nuts to store for the long winter.
B — collect. “collect” means v. to gather together. Study “collect” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “lazy”:
C — idle. “lazy” means adj. not willing to work or use effort. Study “lazy” →
The nurse gave the injured man ______ care the very moment he arrived.
A — immediate. “immediate” means adj. happening or done without delay. Study “immediate” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “mine”:
A — quarry. “mine” means n. a type of excavation in the earth for extracting coal or other minerals. Study “mine” →
The clever spy kept his true ______ a careful secret from everyone.
B — identity. “identity” means n. who someone is; the qualities of a person or group. Study “identity” →
Select the best synonym for the word “surge”:
A — spike. “surge” means n. a sudden and great increase. Study “surge” →
There was just a ______ red apple left in the nearly empty fruit bowl.
C — single. “single” means adj. one only; not married. Study “single” →
Select the best synonym for the word “keep”:
A — retain. “keep” means v. to have or retain possession of something. Study “keep” →
She showed good ______ by leaving the party before the trouble began.
B — judgement. “judgement” means n. the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions. Study “judgement” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “run-down”:
B — dilapidated. “run-down” means adj. in poor condition or neglected. Study “run-down” →
In a real emergency, saving lives takes ______ over everything else.
A — precedence. “precedence” means n. the condition of being more important than something else. Study “precedence” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “drain”:
B — empty. “drain” means v. to remove liquid from something. Study “drain” →
Please ______ the thick soup slowly so that it does not burn on the bottom.
C — stir. “stir” means v. to mix a liquid or other substance by moving an object such as a spoon in a circular pattern. Study “stir” →
Select the best synonym for the word “shake”:
A — vibrate. “shake” means v. to move something back and forth or up and down with quick movements. Study “shake” →
After the long, tiring hike, they ate their thick sandwiches ______.
D — hungrily. “hungrily” means adv. in a way that shows a strong desire for food. Study “hungrily” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “misrepresent”:
A — distort. “misrepresent” means v. to give a false or misleading account of the nature of. Study “misrepresent” →
A heavy hammer is the perfect ______ for driving a nail into hard wood.
D — tool. “tool” means n. an instrument used to perform a task. Study “tool” →
Select the best synonym for the word “rephrase”:
D — reword. “rephrase” means v. to say or write something in a different way. Study “rephrase” →
The ______ repairs to the main road caused traffic jams for many weeks.
D — ongoing. “ongoing” means adj. continuing; still in progress. Study “ongoing” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “attack”:
A — assault. “attack” means v. to try to hurt or damage something or someone; n. an act of trying to hurt or damage. Study “attack” →
The company offered a ______ reward to anyone who found the lost dog.
C — monetary. “monetary” means adj. related to money or currency. Study “monetary” →
No. These are original synonym and sentence-completion questions written from the iSEE Vocab word bank, in the ISEE's own four-option Verbal Reasoning format. No retired or copyrighted ISEE/SSAT questions appear anywhere on this site.
40 — 20 synonym questions and 20 sentence-completion questions, the same roughly-even split the real ISEE Verbal Reasoning section uses.
No. Every Basic Level practice test on this site draws from a disjoint slice of the word bank, so Test 1, Test 2 and every other numbered test at this level use entirely different questions.
Yes. The ISEE gives no penalty for a wrong answer — a blank scores the same as a wrong guess, which is zero — so answer every question even when you have to guess.