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 “wreckage”:
C — debris. “wreckage” means n. the remains of something that has been badly damaged or destroyed. Study “wreckage” →
The tired, wounded soldiers were ordered to ______ to a much safer position.
B — retreat. “retreat” means v. to move back or withdraw. Study “retreat” →
Select the best synonym for the word “admit”:
B — confess. “admit” means v. to confess or acknowledge something as true. Study “admit” →
She wrote each word so ______ that everyone could read it with ease.
C — clearly. “clearly” means adv. in a way that is easy to see or understand. Study “clearly” →
Select the best synonym for the word “attention”:
B — focus. “attention” means n. the act of focusing on something or someone. Study “attention” →
She bit into the ripe, ______ peach and smiled with pure delight.
D — juicy. “juicy” means adj. full of juice; interesting or exciting. Study “juicy” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “seclusion”:
D — isolation. “seclusion” means n. the state of being private and away from other people. Study “seclusion” →
A small ferry carried them from the tiny island back to the ______.
B — mainland. “mainland” means n. the principal landmass of a country or continent. Study “mainland” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “differences”:
A — distinctions. “differences” means n. plural of difference; ways in which things are not the same. Study “differences” →
The scary late-night movie showed some truly ______ monsters.
A — horrifying. “horrifying” means adj. causing horror or shock. Study “horrifying” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “wide”:
D — broad. “wide” means adj. having a large distance from side to side. Study “wide” →
Her greatest ______ was to travel the world and see many new places.
C — desire. “desire” means n. a strong feeling of wanting something. Study “desire” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “bendable”:
C — flexible. “bendable” means adj. capable of being bent. Study “bendable” →
It is not at all fair to ______ her for a mistake she did not make.
C — blame. “blame” means v. to say or think that someone or something is responsible for something bad. Study “blame” →
Select the best synonym for the word “convincing”:
D — persuasive. “convincing” means adj. able to make someone believe that something is true. Study “convincing” →
The mother gave her sleepy baby a ______ kiss on the forehead.
C — tender. “tender” means adj. gentle and caring. Study “tender” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “supple”:
B — flexible. “supple” means adj. bending or moving easily. Study “supple” →
The children loved to ______ that the cardboard box was a fast spaceship.
C — pretend. “pretend” means v. to act as if something is true when it is not. Study “pretend” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “agitation”:
A — unease. “agitation” means n. a state of anxiety or nervous excitement. Study “agitation” →
It was entirely his own ______ that the old machine finally broke down.
A — fault. “fault” means n. a mistake or defect. Study “fault” →
Select the best synonym for the word “ongoing”:
A — continuing. “ongoing” means adj. continuing; still in progress. Study “ongoing” →
For many centuries, the busy port was a great center of ______ between nations.
C — trade. “trade” means n. the action of buying and selling goods and services. Study “trade” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “unimportant”:
D — trivial. “unimportant” means adj. not having much significance or value. Study “unimportant” →
His ______ speech was full of very long words but had little real meaning.
A — pretentious. “pretentious” means adj. trying to appear more important or clever than you are. Study “pretentious” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “nearly”:
A — almost. “nearly” means adv. almost; not quite. Study “nearly” →
The two ______ villages happily shared one small school between them.
A — neighboring. “neighboring” means adj. located next to or near another. Study “neighboring” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “fury”:
A — rage. “fury” means n. extreme anger. Study “fury” →
The ______ snow-capped mountains took the tired travelers' breath away.
A — majestic. “majestic” means adj. having or showing impressive beauty or scale. Study “majestic” →
Select the best synonym for the word “narrate”:
A — recount. “narrate” means v. to tell a story or describe a series of events. Study “narrate” →
They plan to ______ the empty apartment with a bed, a table, and chairs.
D — furnish. “furnish” means v. to provide furniture for a room. Study “furnish” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “beginner”:
A — novice. “beginner” means n. a person who is starting to learn something. Study “beginner” →
Under the ______ of being sick, he stayed home to watch television all day.
D — pretense. “pretense” means n. a false reason or explanation. Study “pretense” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “dry”:
B — arid. “dry” means adj. free from moisture or liquid. Study “dry” →
The country's strict ______ protect its wild forests and clean rivers.
A — laws. “laws” means n. plural of law; systems of rules. Study “laws” →
Choose the best synonym for the word “hardworking”:
A — diligent. “hardworking” means adj. tending to work with energy and commitment. Study “hardworking” →
The dark cloud slowly changed its ______ into a giant flying dragon.
B — shape. “shape” means n. the form or outline of an object. Study “shape” →
Select the best synonym for the word “medicinal”:
A — therapeutic. “medicinal” means adj. having healing properties. Study “medicinal” →
It was very ______ of him to bring warm soup to his sick neighbor.
A — thoughtful. “thoughtful” means adj. showing consideration for others. Study “thoughtful” →
Select the best synonym for the word “hungrily”:
D — ravenously. “hungrily” means adv. in a way that shows a strong desire for food. Study “hungrily” →
From her huge, bright smile, it was ______ that she was very pleased.
C — evident. “evident” means adj. clear to see or understand. Study “evident” →
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.