Hidden Truths: Chapters 16–26

by Elly Swartz
On a summer camping trip in Massachusetts, twelve-year-old best friends Eric Stein and Dani Meyer are shaken up by a fiery explosion.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–15, Chapters 16–26, Chapters 27–46
35 words 1 learner

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. quad
    a muscle of the thigh that extends the leg
    And I’m stuck in here attempting to use a walker to get to the bathroom, trying and failing to raise my arm and move my fingers, and squeezing my quads to strengthen them.
  2. marketing
    the commercial processes in promoting and selling something
    She spends a lot of time making lists for me and doing marketing for the company she works for.
  3. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    My phone pings, a new text from Dani. I assume it’s about my visit after school today.
  4. petrified
    struck with fear and unable to move
    I’m still scared—petrified, really—but I know that I can’t hide from her forever.
  5. endure
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    Then last year when we started middle school, we walked by ourselves after enduring our parents’ safety speech.
  6. vat
    a large open vessel for holding or storing liquids
    But as I walk through the halls, my stomach feels like a vat of flies is having a dance party.
  7. ramble
    continue talking or writing in a purposeless manner
    She rambles on about submission ideas, cell phone numbers, contact information, deadlines, and causes to work on.
  8. fedora
    a hat made of felt with a creased crown
    Then she tosses our names into a gray fedora and all the categories into the plastic bowl on her desk.
  9. intelligible
    capable of being apprehended or understood
    When the meeting ends, Rachel finds me at my locker, and all intelligible thoughts leach out of my brain.
  10. leach
    permeate or seep into gradually
    When the meeting ends, Rachel finds me at my locker, and all intelligible thoughts leach out of my brain.
  11. coherent
    marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts
    My mind spins, but nothing more coherent surfaces, so I shove my hands into my pockets and stop talking.
  12. casual
    not showing effort or strain
    “Sure,” I say, trying to sound casual. Like I haven’t been wishing for this since fourth grade.
  13. graze
    scrape gently
    Her hand grazes mine, and I decide that purple is my new favorite color.
  14. chic
    elegance by virtue of being fashionable
    Yesterday, after chopping off my hair, Meadow said, “Looks great. Kind of like rocker chic meets movie star. At least, that’s what I was going for. Do you like it?”
  15. stifle
    smother or suppress
    I grit my teeth, hoping it will stifle the itchiness climbing up my skin.
  16. ante
    place one's stake
    “How about a game? I even remembered the M&M’s so we can ante up,” Eric says.
  17. barge
    push one's way
    Alice barges into the hospital room with eyes that know the truth.
  18. epitome
    a standard or typical example
    Clue for 21 across: “The epitome of slipperiness.” Oh. EEL.
  19. shrivel
    decrease in size, range, or extent
    “That’s what I like to hear, my friend,” he said as he counted my quad squeezes and then helped me stand and use the walker so my body doesn’t weaken and shrivel up.
  20. churn
    be agitated
    My insides churn.
  21. ricochet
    spring back; spring away from an impact
    Anger ricochets across my body.
  22. stump
    cause to be perplexed or confounded
    “Well, seems this one’s got her stumped. Stay tuned, time will tell.”
  23. disperse
    cause to separate and go in different directions
    It’s Coach Levi, dispersing the circle of gawkers with a wave and a “Get home.”
  24. gawker
    a spectator who stares openly
    It’s Coach Levi, dispersing the circle of gawkers with a wave and a “Get home.”
  25. defective
    having a flaw
    I hold my breath and read: “Cause of explosion: defective lithium-ion battery in remote-control car.”
  26. unwavering
    marked by firm determination or resolution
    Her voice is steady, certain, unwavering.
  27. practical
    having or put to an actual purpose or use
    I know Mom will help, but in her practical, let’s-make-a-chart-for-everything way.
  28. arboretum
    a facility where trees and shrubs are cultivated
    When we pass the Ander Arboretum, I hold my breath.
  29. ridge
    a long narrow natural elevation or striation
    Then Mom navigates the chair over the ridges and roots jutting out from the driveway, which is a lot harder than pushing it along the hospital’s smooth tile floor.
  30. jut
    extend out or project in space
    Then Mom navigates the chair over the ridges and roots jutting out from the driveway, which is a lot harder than pushing it along the hospital’s smooth tile floor.
  31. renege
    fail to fulfill a promise or obligation
    To avoid getting snot all over myself, I consider holding her by her feet, but I don’t want to renege on my promise to be nice to my sister.
  32. exponentially
    in a manner of rapid growth
    It also makes this day exponentially better.
  33. turret
    a small tower extending above a building
    Rachel lives in a stucco Tudor with a turret. Think castle minus the moat.
  34. fancy
    not plain; decorative or ornamented
    The family room has fancy paintings of old people’s faces and a television the size of my kitchen table.
  35. iridescent
    varying in color when seen in different lights
    Meadow waves to the next swarm of girls who walk by, wearing matching iridescent headbands.
Created on Sat Jan 13 16:50:39 EST 2024 (updated Mon Jan 15 14:43:26 EST 2024)

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.