30 GRE Words Beginning with "P"

In one insouciant swipe, racism symbolically undone with wit, skill and panache, the banana no longer carried any terrible politica potency.T
The Guardian (Mar 28, 2011)

Meanwhile, a major paradigm shift is occurring, whereby white men from Western Europe and North America are no longer calling all the shots.
New York Times (Jun 29, 2013)

“We saw many translucent streams, whose pellucid waters were charming to behold.
C. G. (Carl Gustaf) Helleberg

Then her cheek burned with shame, and penitent tears filled her eyes, as better thoughts came crowding into her mind.
Martha Finley

Italy's longest-serving prime minister is known for irrepressible off-color humor, his facelifts, perennial tan, make-up and hair weave.
Reuters (Aug 1, 2013)

Directors have called Mr. Loeb’s candidates, but the interviews were interpreted as brief and perfunctory, according to people close to Mr. Loeb.
New York Times (Mar 8, 2012)

In business, project managers sometimes get mired in peripheral issues.
Forbes (Jul 16, 2013)

His films, which combined archival footage, still photographs and fresh interviews, were triumphs of curiosity and persistence in unearthing lost material about forgotten subjects.
New York Times (May 18, 2013)

As we are hastily reading books and papers we continually come across maxims, epigrams, and short, pithy sayings that attract us.
Louis Philippe McCarty

His smooth, placid demeanor is perfect here, which make the few times he does snap seem that much more startling.
Seattle Times (Sep 11, 2012)

But even here Kushner's polemical fury at the Iraq invasion is qualified by his residual sympathy for Mrs Bush.
The Guardian (Sep 6, 2010)

A third suspect who died in jail was given a posthumous conviction.
BBC (Jun 18, 2012)

On two occasions when I crossed the beaches the sea was running too heavily to make bathing practicable.
Samuel Adams Drake

Pragmatism surely explains some of this surge: participants frustrated by stagnant multilateral talks are anxious to do deals where they can.
Economist (Mar 14, 2013)

One moment, Mr. Gates was precariously perched on the jetty; the next, he had vanished behind a wall of water.
New York Times (Apr 28, 2013)

"Political choices have become predominant over monetary policy instruments," he said.
BBC (Jun 15, 2012)

He denied the killing was premeditated, but said Arias snapped in the "sudden heat of passion" after Alexander attacked her.
Reuters (May 6, 2013)

Though still radiating preternatural cuteness, Witherspoon is no longer so attractive at the box office .
Time (Feb 20, 2012)

At the Nike outlet, Chung said all sales staff were now required to be fluent in Mandarin, the most prevalent Chinese dialect.
Reuters (May 19, 2013)

Secret Service agents are also drilled almost from Day One on the need for probity, discretion and solid morals.
Chicago Tribune (Apr 21, 2012)

Drink, gambling, licentiousness, and prodigality, ruined his fortunes, and cut short his life.
H. G. Somerville

“Then the government is doing all this profligate spending and unethical things.
Slate (Feb 25, 2013)

Mr. Zapruder’s verse — a learned, attentive everyman’s train of thought — couches subtle profundities among mundane observations.
New York Times (Oct 28, 2012)

His prolixity was increased by his unwillingness, when writing without prescribed limits, to leave out any detail, however unimportant.
Various

Though they garner far less publicity than splashy initial public offerings, private placements play as prominent a role in the financial markets.
New York Times (Jul 10, 2013)

The piece feels strangely prophetic, anticipating an eclipse of the news outlets themselves.
New York Times (Jan 20, 2011)

The solutions are many and various, mostly boring and prosaic—and not frightening.
Slate (Jun 28, 2013)

The oldest sailors on board acknowledged that they had never witnessed so providential an escape. 
George Henry Borrow

These two schools are very close in geographic proximity, but their cultures are worlds apart.
Forbes (Aug 1, 2013)

JK Rowling has said she feels "very angry" after finding out her pseudonym Robert Galbraith was leaked by a legal firm.
BBC (Jul 18, 2013)