Review this list of words and context sentences to find the word that matches the definition below.
To use selfishly or unethically; take unfair advantage of
acclaim (ə-klām) -noun
- Any subway system that is clean, quiet, and safe deserves acclaim.
- Although Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings are now worth millions of dollars, the artist received little acclaim in his lifetime and died in poverty.
adjacent (ə-jāsənt) -adjective
- Because their desks are adjacent, Jeff and Kellie often exchange looks and comments.
- If you keep your dishes in a cupboard that’s adjacent to the dishwasher, you won’t have to walk too far when putting away the clean dishes.
elicit (ĭ-lĭsĭt) -verb
- The movie star’s violet eyes always elicit admiration and wonder.
- The basketball player’s three-point shot to win the game in its final seconds elicited a roar of delight from the excited fans.
engross (ĕn′grōs) -verb
- The suspenseful TV movie so engrossed Bryan that he didn’t even budge when he was called to dinner.
- The fascinating single-file march of black ants along the sidewalk engrossed me for several minutes.
escalate (ĕskə-lāt′) -verb
- The fight between the two hockey players escalated into an all-out battle among members of both teams.
- “We need to escalate our fund-raising efforts,” the theater manager said. “Otherwise, the company won’t survive.”
exploit (ĕks-ploit) -verb
- At the turn of the century, factory owners exploited children by making them work in terrible conditions for as many as eighteen hours a day.
- Although Ricky is the English teacher’s son, he refuses to exploit his status. He works as hard as anyone else in the class.
methodical (mə-thŏdĭ-kəl) -adjective
- A methodical way to store spices is to shelve them in alphabetical order.
- Juanita is so methodical about her diet that she classifies the foods in each meal into different nutritional categories.
obsolete (ŏb′sə-lēt) -adjective
- Cellphones are so common now that they have made pagers almost obsolete.
- In the United States, the automobile quickly made travel by horse and carriage obsolete.
tangible (tănjə-bəl) -adjective
- The sculptor loved making her ideas tangible by giving them form in metal and stone.
- Corn-chip crumbs, empty soda bottles, and dirty napkins were tangible evidence that a party had taken place the night before.
terminate (tûrmə-nāt′) -verb
- As the clock’s hands inched toward 3:00, the students waited impatiently for the bell to terminate the last class before spring vacation.
- The referee should have terminated the boxing match when he first saw the weaker fighter losing the ability to defend himself.