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 “unbeatable”:
C — invincible. “unbeatable” means adj. impossible to defeat. Study “unbeatable” →
The heavy dark clouds seemed to ______ the terrible storm still to come.
D — foreshadow. “foreshadow” means v. to indicate or suggest something that will happen in the future. Study “foreshadow” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “awaiting”:
A — expecting. “awaiting” means v. waiting for something. Study “awaiting” →
His nervous speech was so ______ that no one could follow it at all.
D — disjointed. “disjointed” means adj. lacking a coherent sequence or connection. Study “disjointed” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “restart”:
A — resume. “restart” means v. to start something again. Study “restart” →
If you keep pouring, the water will ______ the very top of the glass.
B — overflow. “overflow” means v. to flow over the edge. Study “overflow” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “forever”:
D — eternally. “forever” means adv. for all time, eternally. Study “forever” →
The main road was ______ closed while the workers repaired the bridge.
A — temporarily. “temporarily” means adv. for a short time. Study “temporarily” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “rule”:
A — regulation. “rule” means n. a statement that tells you what is or is not allowed. Study “rule” →
After many ______ attempts, she finally solved the very tricky puzzle.
D — repeated. “repeated” means adj. happening again and again. Study “repeated” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “quiet”:
C — silent. “quiet” means adj. making little or no noise. Study “quiet” →
She solemnly promised to ______ home before it got dark outside.
C — return. “return” means v. to go back to a place. Study “return” →
Select the best synonym for the word “inadequate”:
D — insufficient. “inadequate” means adj. not enough or not good enough. Study “inadequate” →
With rich soil and steady rain, the whole garden was green and ______.
A — flourishing. “flourishing” means adj. growing or developing in a healthy or vigorous way. Study “flourishing” →
Select the best synonym for the word “summon”:
C — call. “summon” means v. to call someone to come. Study “summon” →
She knew exactly how to ______ the very difficult and angry customer.
A — handle. “handle” means v. to manage or deal with something. Study “handle” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “foreign”:
A — alien. “foreign” means adj. from another country. Study “foreign” →
A truly ______ person listens carefully to opinions different from her own.
C — open-minded. “open-minded” means adj. willing to consider new ideas. Study “open-minded” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “fit”:
A — suitable. “fit” means adj. suitable or appropriate. Study “fit” →
Long ago, people had to ______ wild animals to feed their whole families.
B — hunt. “hunt” means v. to chase and kill animals for food or sport. Study “hunt” →
Select the best synonym for the word “spread”:
C — expand. “spread” means v. to extend over a large area. Study “spread” →
With water and sunlight, the tiny seedling will slowly ______ into a tall tree.
B — grow. “grow” means v. to increase in size or amount. Study “grow” →
Select the best synonym for the word “seize”:
A — grab. “seize” means v. to take hold of something quickly and firmly. Study “seize” →
She made the very final ______ of her loan and felt completely free.
B — repayment. “repayment” means n. the act of paying back money that was borrowed. Study “repayment” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “disease”:
A — illness. “disease” means n. an illness or sickness. Study “disease” →
If you ______ your teeth, they will slowly decay and begin to hurt.
B — neglect. “neglect” means v. to fail to care for properly. Study “neglect” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “insert”:
A — add. “insert” means v. to put something into something else. Study “insert” →
A skilled rider can ______ even a wild and very nervous horse.
A — control. “control” means v. to have power over something; n. the power to influence or direct behavior. Study “control” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “understood”:
D — comprehended. “understood” means v. past tense of understand; comprehended. Study “understood” →
The ______ brown sugar still had bits of the raw sugar cane in it.
D — unrefined. “unrefined” means adj. not processed to remove impurities; crude. Study “unrefined” →
Select the best synonym for the word “reside”:
B — dwell. “reside” means v. to live in a particular place. Study “reside” →
She worked very hard to ______ her strict but always fair teacher.
A — please. “please” means v. to make someone happy or satisfied. Study “please” →
Select the best synonym for the word “strange”:
C — odd. “strange” means adj. unusual or surprising. Study “strange” →
Her excuse was so ______ that even the strict teacher fully believed it.
D — convincing. “convincing” means adj. able to make someone believe that something is true. Study “convincing” →
Select the best synonym for the word “beg”:
D — plead. “beg” means v. to ask for something earnestly. Study “beg” →
The clever hunter used tasty bait to ______ the sly, careful fox.
A — entrap. “entrap” means v. to catch someone in a trap. Study “entrap” →
Select the best synonym for the word “fulfill”:
D — accomplish. “fulfill” means v. to achieve or realize something desired or promised. Study “fulfill” →
There was a ______ noise coming from the dark, empty old attic.
D — strange. “strange” means adj. unusual or surprising. Study “strange” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “beyond”:
C — past. “beyond” means prep. on the other side of something. Study “beyond” →
The young student made great ______ in reading over the whole school year.
B — progress. “progress” means n. the process of improving or developing something. Study “progress” →
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.