A _rigid_ backplate makes inserting the bladder into a backpack's hydration sleeve easier. Synonym: (unyielding / impressionable / malleable)

We need to drastically reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to _mitigate_ climate change. Synonym: (stop / prevent / alleviate)

Instead of going to college, Rose lives with her mother in obscurity, and her friends are _scornful_ of her claim of being a great, undiscovered artist. Synonym: (supportive / contemptuous / baffled)

My birthday often ___ with the summer solstice and I get to bask in the sun all night long. (appears / coincides / occurs)

The children are playing noisily upstairs. I bet they're up to their usual _shenanigans_! Synonym: (miscarriage / mischief / mishaps)

You should avoid ___ terms when it comes to minorities. (decisive / deistic / derogatory)

Teenagers often ___ when they fail to get what they want. (gulp / occult / sulk)

Finns like to ___, especially since everyone residing in Finland has the right to enjoy nature anywhere in the Finnish countryside regardless of land ownership. (forage / forge / facilitate)

I have no ___ with you, my friend. Settle down. (complaints / accord / quarrel)

The United States remained _ambivalent_ on the issue of international collaboration on public health, despite playing a role in spearheading the United Nations. Synonym: (adamant / elusive / consistent)

Longer rain seasons have increased the grain ___ (sato) potential.

The hypocrisy of some authority figures is _galling_. Synonym: (daunting / irksome / extraordinary)