Context Clues

We have lofty expectations for you, son. You will attend college and be elected president of the United States. Lofty means:

The teacher checked the student’s doctor's note carefully and approved it because it came from the doctor’s office and had an official stamp, showing that the reason was legitimate. Legitimate means

The coach reminded the team not to argue over a trivial mistake, explaining that it was a small issue that wouldn’t affect the outcome of the game.

No one suspected that John was a spy. On the surface he behaved like any normal person. When his covert activity was discovered, we were all shocked. Covert means:

Everyone complimented Brooke's outfit because it looked simple but elegant, making her appearance chic without being flashy.

Mary, of course you’re always tired. Most nights you stay up late working and infrequently take a day off. What does “infrequently” mean?

Liam wore a bright neon jacket that stood out in the hallway, making him conspicuous among classmates dressed in plain colors. Conspicuous means:

“I am going to rescind the permission I gave for you to use my toys," Jeffrey said angrily. "I thought you would take good care of them, but I was wrong!” Rescind means:

This is a clandestine operation. It is extremely important that no one discovers what you’re doing! A clandestine operation is supposed to be __________.

I was working with three other students on a group project. We had so many disagreements that we had to ask the teacher to help us resolve our issues. Resolve means:

Michael is an ardent supporter of the presidential candidate. That became obvious to me when I found out how much time he’s donated to the campaign. Ardent means:

When Kim and Sara were fighting over a boy, Brooke stepped in as a mediator. She sat them both down and got them talking to each other again. Mediator means:

Emily is never happy when everyone is getting along. She always instigates fights. When you instigate something, you __________.

I like that store. The employees care about their customers and strive to make the customers feel right at home. Which word is a synonym of “strive”?

If you don’t get help quickly for your condition, it could become chronic. Then you may have to take medicine for the rest of your life. Chronic means:

I looked at the plans for your new house. This is earthquake country. You need to fortify the frame or you’ll have a disaster with the first tremor. The word fortify means: 

I'm working hard for the same person that you support. You're doing it for pay but I'm not doing this for money. I’m doing it out of conviction. Conviction means: