Confused Words Exercise (769)
In each sentence, choose the correct word from the pair of similar terms. (If both words possibly can be correct, choose the more plausible one.)
Answers and Explanations
1. This is an unacceptable breach of our responsibility to keep our riders safe.
breach: failure or gap. "Through the breach, they heard the waters pour, as mountain torrents down a flume."
breech: hind or rear. "The earliest form of a breech sight on cannon was fixed and could not be adjusted."
2. She considers the 1960 edition the definitive version of his treatise.
definite: clear, confident, or decided. "Not long before his departure, she formed a definite plan of action.
definitive: complete or best. "The controversy led to a definitive tension between the two great nations that many saw as a prelude to war."
3. She will flounder if she is asked to complete a challenging task.
flounder: move awkwardly or struggle. "They watched the horse flounder in the muddy pond."
founder: fail, or fill with water and sink. "He did not at all fear that his ship would founder in a moderate storm such as this."
4. Allow the juice and skins of the grapes to macerate overnight before pressing.
macerate: separate or soften by soaking. "During digestion, the food is passed through the first three stomachs, which will macerate and grind the food down."
masticate: chew. "The camel will use its powerful front teeth to tear leaves from trees and bushes and masticate them."
5. The irrigated plants naturally create a weak acid that will leach more and more uranium.
leach: pass liquid through a substance to release or dissolve another substance. "Leach the sulfates out with boiling water."
leech: drain or exhaust. "The foolish investment will continue to leech their savings."
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