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.
Choose the best synonym for the word “reflective”:
A — shiny. “reflective” means adj. capable of reflecting light or images. Study “reflective” →
A striped ______ dug a deep burrow beneath the ancient oak tree.
A — badger. “badger” means n. a burrowing animal with a broad back and thick fur. Study “badger” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “engrave”:
A — etch. “engrave” means v. to cut or carve a design on a hard surface. Study “engrave” →
The professor wrote a long, ______ book about ancient Roman history.
B — scholarly. “scholarly” means adj. involving or relating to serious academic study. Study “scholarly” →
Select the best synonym for the word “board”:
B — plank. “board” means n. a flat piece of material used for a specific purpose. Study “board” →
The newly ______ mayor promised to build more parks for the city.
A — elected. “elected” means adj. chosen by voting. Study “elected” →
Select the best synonym for the word “repayment”:
C — reimbursement. “repayment” means n. the act of paying back money that was borrowed. Study “repayment” →
The melting ice cream soon turned into a soft, ______ sticky puddle.
C — shapeless. “shapeless” means adj. without a clear form or shape. Study “shapeless” →
Select the best synonym for the word “entrance”:
C — entryway. “entrance” means n. a place where you go in. Study “entrance” →
His clever ______ of every question made the reporters very suspicious.
C — evasion. “evasion” means n. the act of avoiding something. Study “evasion” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “publicly”:
B — openly. “publicly” means adv. in a manner that is open to everyone. Study “publicly” →
In warm spring, many animals begin the yearly cycle of ______.
C — reproduction. “reproduction” means n. the process of producing babies, young animals, or plants. Study “reproduction” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “narrow”:
A — slim. “narrow” means adj. having a small width; v. to make something less wide. Study “narrow” →
Many millions of people live in the busy ______ area around the capital.
A — metropolitan. “metropolitan” means adj. relating to a large city. Study “metropolitan” →
Select the best synonym for the word “dishonest”:
D — deceitful. “dishonest” means adj. not truthful or trustworthy. Study “dishonest” →
There were only ______ apples left in the big wooden bowl.
D — few. “few” means adj. a small number of. Study “few” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “dwellers”:
C — residents. “dwellers” means n. people who live in a particular place. Study “dwellers” →
The chef added the spices with great ______, so no flavor overpowered another.
C — subtlety. “subtlety” means n. the quality of being delicate or precise. Study “subtlety” →
Select the best synonym for the word “approve”:
D — endorse. “approve” means v. to officially agree to or accept as satisfactory. Study “approve” →
After the long, bumpy journey, his hair and clothes looked very ______.
D — disheveled. “disheveled” means adj. untidy or messy. Study “disheveled” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “immune”:
C — resistant. “immune” means adj. protected from disease or harm. Study “immune” →
The surprise ______ of the movie shocked the entire audience.
C — ending. “ending” means n. the final part of something. Study “ending” →
Select the best synonym for the word “swift”:
A — rapid. “swift” means adj. happening quickly or promptly. Study “swift” →
The ______ spring weather changed from sunshine to storms within an hour.
D — inconstant. “inconstant” means adj. frequently changing; not stable. Study “inconstant” →
Select the best synonym for the word “property”:
C — asset. “property” means n. something owned; a possession. Study “property” →
The surprised doctors called her sudden full recovery a true ______.
C — miracle. “miracle” means n. an extraordinary event that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws. Study “miracle” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “prejudiced”:
A — biased. “prejudiced” means adj. having or showing a dislike or distrust that is derived from prejudice. Study “prejudiced” →
She watched the white sugar slowly ______ in the hot cup of tea.
C — dissolving. “dissolving” means v. becoming incorporated into a liquid. Study “dissolving” →
Select the best synonym for the word “error”:
B — blunder. “error” means n. a mistake. Study “error” →
Many people voted ______ the plan to cut down the old shade trees.
B — against. “against” means prep. in opposition to. Study “against” →
Select the best synonym for the word “authorize”:
B — permit. “authorize” means v. to give official permission for something. Study “authorize” →
The talented young child showed real ______ skill on the old piano.
D — musical. “musical” means adj. relating to music; n. a play or movie with singing and dancing. Study “musical” →
Select the best synonym for the word “rely”:
A — depend. “rely” means v. to depend on with full trust or confidence. Study “rely” →
The ______ teacher gave the whole class an extra day to finish the work.
B — lenient. “lenient” means adj. not strict; showing mercy. Study “lenient” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “attractive”:
A — appealing. “attractive” means adj. pleasing or appealing to the senses. Study “attractive” →
Solving the hard puzzle required careful ______ thinking and calculation.
B — mathematical. “mathematical” means adj. relating to mathematics. Study “mathematical” →
Select the best synonym for the word “connect”:
C — link. “connect” means v. to join or link together. Study “connect” →
A tall stone fountain stood in the exact ______ of the busy square.
A — center. “center” means n. the middle point or part of something. Study “center” →
Select the best synonym for the word “turn”:
C — twists. “turn” means n. plural of turn; changes in direction or position. Study “turn” →
Her final choice of career was strongly ______ by her wise old teacher.
A — influenced. “influenced” means adj. affected by external factors. Study “influenced” →
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.