SSAT synonyms: how to work out words you half know

Updated November 3, 2026

Synonym questions show one word in capitals and ask which choice means most nearly the same. There are 30 on the middle level SSAT, in the verbal section. A big vocabulary helps, but most misses come from words a child half knows, and strategy helps there.

Four ways in

  1. 1Use the word in a sentence you have heard, e.g. "The water was scarce in the desert." Then swap in each choice.
  2. 2Feel its charge. Is the word positive, negative, or neutral? A choice with the opposite charge can't be its synonym.
  3. 3Break it into parts. Nov- means new, so a novice is someone new, a beginner. See word roots.
  4. 4Rule out what you can, then guess if at least one choice is gone.

Traps to watch for

  • Association: a word that goes with the target but doesn't mean it. Costly goes with scarce, but scarce means rare.
  • Degree: soaked means wet through, not slightly damp. The strength has to match.
  • Opposites: a choice that means the reverse is there on purpose, for kids reading fast.

Try a few

Question 1

SCARCE most nearly means:

  1. Aordinary
  2. Bplentiful
  3. Ccostly
  4. Drare
  5. Ehidden
Show the answer

D, rare. Scarce means in short supply, so rare is closest. Costly is a possible result of scarcity, not its meaning.

Question 2

DEDUCE most nearly means:

  1. Alook closely
  2. Bstate publicly
  3. Ccreate imaginatively
  4. Dconclude from evidence
  5. Erecall from memory
Show the answer

D, conclude from evidence. Deduce means work out an answer by reasoning from facts or clues. Looking closely only gathers the clues; it does not reach the answer.

Question 3

NOVICE most nearly means:

  1. Aexpert
  2. Bstranger
  3. Cbeginner
  4. Dcoach
  5. Evolunteer
Show the answer

C, beginner. A novice is a beginner, someone new to an activity or skill (nov- means new). An expert is the opposite: someone with lots of experience.

Question 4

SOAKED most nearly means:

  1. Aslightly damp
  2. Bdry
  3. Cwet in spots
  4. Dfreshly washed
  5. Ewet through
Show the answer

E, wet through. Soaked means completely wet. After the water fight, my shirt was soaked. Wet in spots is tempting, but soaked means wet everywhere, not just in a few places.

Rookling brings back the words your child misses, in new questions, until they stick. Kids can also ask what a word means during practice, and that counts separately from a first try. For words to learn, see the vocabulary lists by grade, with printable flashcards.

Questions parents ask

Should my child memorize word lists?
A little helps, but it's slow. Learning word parts and practicing with real questions, where missed words come back, works better in the time most families have.
How many synonym questions are there?
30 on the middle level SSAT, in a 30-minute verbal section with 30 analogies.

More guides