Temperatures in the desert oscillate so widely that rock expands by day and contracts sharply after dark.
沙漠的气温波动极大，岩石白天膨胀，入夜后急剧收缩。
Which choice best defines “oscillate”?
A — To swing back and forth; waver.. “oscillate” means To swing back and forth; waver..
Which word means “To swing back and forth; waver.”?
A — oscillate. “oscillate” means To swing back and forth; waver..
oscillate — To swing back and forth; waver.. In Chinese: 摆动;犹豫.
oscillate is pronounced //ˈɒsɪleɪt//.
Temperatures in the desert oscillate so widely that rock expands by day and contracts sharply after dark. (沙漠的气温波动极大，岩石白天膨胀，入夜后急剧收缩。)
swing, fluctuate, waver — all close in meaning to oscillate (To swing back and forth; waver.).
stabilize, settle — each the opposite of oscillate (To swing back and forth; waver.).
Yes. oscillate is on the SAT Prep Difficult list — the higher-register words that decide the hard questions. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.
oscill(摆动) → 来回摇摆。