Drew Leclair Gets a Clue: Chapters 22–26

by Katryn Bury
In this first book of the series, a twelve-year-old girl, named after the fictional detective Nancy Drew, compiles profiles of possible suspects in a case of cyberbullying targeting seventh graders at Oakland's Ella Baker Middle School.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–14, Chapters 15–21, Chapters 22–26
40 words 9 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. expose
    reveal the true nature of pretentious or false claims
    Go to Mr. Lopez with all the evidence. At which point Ethan will hopefully be exposed as the evil genius he is.
  2. quintessential
    representing the perfect example of a class or quality
    I added a denim jacket and the quintessential accessory for any covert mission: a plain black beanie.
  3. glaring
    extremely obvious or conspicuous
    I manage to ignore the glaring absence of texts from Shrey or Trissa, clicking on a Reddit thread on lock picking.
  4. heist
    the act of stealing
    The office reeks of pumpkin spice when I arrive for third period (a.k.a. heist zero hour!) and Ms. Marika immediately shoves a thick stack of Fall Fest flyers into my hands.
  5. hearty
    showing warm and sincere friendliness
    Ms. Marika lets out a hearty laugh. “Oh, Drew. You’re my favorite. You know that?”
  6. elude
    escape, either physically or mentally
    “Oh, I was just humming...” I break off desperately, realizing that I have no idea what a regular old twelve-year-old girl would listen to. Trissa’s into some K-pop band whose name is eluding me.
  7. partake
    have, give, or receive a share of
    “Although it’s a little quieter since Mr. Clark left.” The easy way he says the name makes me think that Mr. Crohner hasn’t been partaking in the faculty gossip.
  8. faculty
    the body of teachers and administrators at a school
    “Although it’s a little quieter since Mr. Clark left.” The easy way he says the name makes me think that Mr. Crohner hasn’t been partaking in the faculty gossip.
  9. decline
    show unwillingness towards
    Ms. Tuitasi declined to report this to authorities as it was a first offense.
  10. tendency
    an attitude of mind that favors one alternative over others
    While Drew does display some antisocial tendencies, however, she seems to self-isolate more than lash out.
  11. detention
    a punishment in which a student must stay after school
    But when anyone gets upset or fights back, they end up with detention, too. It’s not fair that the punishment for standing up for yourself is the same as the one for bullying people.
  12. aback
    by surprise
    Both Mr. Lopez and Ms. El-Sayed look taken aback.
  13. adrenaline
    hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress
    My whole body is shaking now, partly from fear and partly from the adrenaline produced talking to the principal like that.
  14. errant
    moving in an uncontrolled, irregular, or unpredictable way
    I pull one sleeve of my jacket down and wipe an errant tear.
  15. ramification
    a consequence, especially one that causes complications
    The principal takes a deep breath, telling me, “Counseling a student while having a personal relationship with that student’s family member. Well, all I can say is that it could have serious ramifications for—”
  16. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    Picturing a full week of ominous glasses cleaning, I realize it will all be on him. He’ll have to deal with all of this Mom stuff while having a disgraced daughter.
  17. glum
    moody and sorrowful
    Standing from my chair, I nod glumly and turn toward the door.
  18. contempt
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    Looking at all three of us, eyes blazing with contempt, is Ethan Navarez.
  19. dutiful
    willingly obedient out of a sense of respect
    “Give it to me,” she says calmly. The principal holds a hand out, and Shrey dutifully hands her the unfamiliar iPhone.
  20. delicate
    marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
    “I’m going to need to check your phone, or call your parents if we can’t sort this out. So you need to tell us the truth now,” she says.
    When he doesn’t answer again, Principal El-Sayed delicately turns on the phone, which is thankfully still unlocked.
  21. chasten
    restrain
    All three of us crack up, but the look on Ms. Marika’s face chastens me as we enter the front office.
  22. elaborate
    developed or executed with care and in minute detail
    For the first time all day, I actually notice the familiar sights and smells of Fall Fest. The general sweetness in the air (likely due to the candy corn tub), elaborately carved pumpkins, hay bales, and festive games set up around campus almost make me regret doing this whole file room heist today.
  23. empirical
    derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
    You’re empirically attractive. You’re tall, symmetrical, you have sports muscles.
  24. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
    “Can I ask you something?” I broach hesitantly.
  25. grim
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    Gasping, I realize that he’s looking at a hunched and grim-looking Ethan Navarez.
  26. ideal
    conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection
    “That’s not ideal.”
    “It is not,” I agree. “But, hey, you caught the bad guy, right? What do you need to be afraid of?”
  27. baguette
    a long, narrow loaf of French bread
    But then I saw three baguettes in the back seat. Dad doesn’t get me baguettes when he’s mad. He only gets baguettes when I’m sad—or for Murder and Mayhem nights.
  28. meditative
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    Taking a deep meditative breath, I tell him—everything.
  29. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    An arched eyebrow tells me Dad is intrigued.
  30. detachment
    lack of emotion or interest
    I mean, you remember what she says about profilers, right? ‘There has to be a healthy level of emotional detachment in order to do the job.’
  31. trope
    a common or clichéd plot device, idea, or theme in a creative work
    I, for one, am tired of the "cold and detached” criminal psychologist trope.
  32. full-fledged
    having gained complete status
    The confession brings another fresh round of tears, and I let out full-fledged sobs until my throat burns and snot runs down the front of my face.
  33. unhinged
    affected or as if affected with madness or insanity
    I put on a mad face, but I’m relieved to get back to the part with more jokes and less unhinged sobbing.
  34. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
    Because you are in trouble at school, and I don’t want you to think I’m condoning anything you’ve done.
  35. wallow
    devote oneself entirely to something
    “Tonight, we should probably wallow, though. And consume a metric ton of chocolate and true crime.”
  36. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    Trissa tents her hands conspiratorially, which looks even more ominous with her striped orange Ahsoka Tano makeup.
  37. furtive
    secret and sly
    Trissa casts a furtive glance toward the kitchen.
    Laughing, I say, “Go get your cereal. I know you want to.”
  38. glamorous
    having an air of allure, romance and excitement
    Her hair is piled high on her head in a glamorous updo, and she wears a sparkling tiara and black heels.
  39. impromptu
    with little or no preparation or forethought
    For those of you willing to make the trek, our own Lita Miyamoto is doing a reading from IN THE SHADOW OF A KILLER at Twilight Books in Los Feliz, announced yesterday! This impromptu signing and reading will be on Saturday at 7 p.m.
  40. rendition
    a performance of a musical composition or a dramatic role
    “Drew!” Shrey shouts from down the hall, his voice nearly drowned out by Holly and Connor’s rendition of “The Room Where It Happens.”
Created on Wed Nov 15 13:40:59 EST 2023 (updated Thu Nov 16 14:12:07 EST 2023)

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.