Walk Two Moons: Chapters 23–33

by Sharon Creech
While trying to track down her missing mother, thirteen-year-old Salamanca entertains her grandparents with strange stories about a girl named Phoebe Winterbottom.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–11, Chapters 12–22, Chapters 23–33, Chapters 34–44
15 words 5698 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. treacherous
    dangerously unstable and unpredictable
    You can stand right on the edge of the gorges and see down, down into the most treacherous ravines, lined with sharp, rough outcroppings.
  2. plummet
    drop sharply
    I picked up a flat stone and sailed it across the gorge where it hit the far wall and plummeted down, down, careening off the jagged outcroppings.
  3. tentatively
    in a hesitant manner
    I lay down next to her, and Gramps tentatively sat down on the other side.
  4. optimistic
    hopeful that the best will happen in the future
    Mr. Finney was cooking something in the kitchen, with the help of four-year-old Tommy. Phoebe whispered, “I am not too optimistic about the possibilities of this meal.”
  5. persuasion
    communication intended to induce belief or action
    The gods also gave her the ability to sing, the power of persuasion, a gold crown, flowers, and many truly wonderful things such as that.
  6. careen
    move at high speed and in an uncontrolled way
    Maybe I could hitch a ride with someone who drove fast, but the thought of someone speeding, careening around curves — especially the snaking curves down into Lewiston, Idaho, which I had heard so much about — when I thought about that, it made me dizzy and sick.
  7. somberly
    in a serious and solemn manner
    There, high up on a cliff face, were the sixty-foot-tall faces of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt, carved right into the rock, staring somberly down on us.
  8. coincidence
    an accidental event that seems to have been arranged
    Behind him was Phoebe’s father. Phoebe looked extensively relieved, but I knew it was not a coincidence that her father was there.
  9. musty
    covered with or smelling of mold
    The walls were lined with shelves crammed with old musty books.
  10. crucial
    of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
    This was not a game. It was a necessary, crucial thing to do. If I did not have these things and remember these occasions, then she might disappear forever.
  11. bureau
    furniture with drawers for keeping clothes
    In my bureau were three things of hers that I had taken from her closet after she left: a red, fringed shawl; a blue sweater; and a yellow-flowered cotton dress that was always my favorite.
  12. geyser
    a spring that discharges hot water and steam
    “We’ll just watch that old geyser blow and then we’ll hit the road.”
  13. swoon
    be overwhelmed with ecstasy, especially when encountering something or someone you admire
    “Ah yes,” Gramps said, placing his hand on his heart and pretending to swoon, “Gloria!”
  14. nonchalantly
    in a composed and unconcerned manner
    Alex was gazing nonchalantly at Mr. Birkway.
  15. devise
    come up with after a mental effort
    And so we devised a plan.
Created on Tue Oct 01 18:12:11 EDT 2013 (updated Fri Jun 13 13:19:40 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.