SAT Vocabulary Ep. 33: 10 High-Frequency Words, Definitions & Practice Quiz

SAT high-frequency vocabulary Set 33: culminate, extrapolate, inference, innocuous, nullify, and 5 more words with definitions, look-alike word pairs, and a 13-question practice quiz.

CRAMBOOKNOTES SAT Vocab Series

SAT High-Frequency Vocabulary

Ep.33 Words in Context - Set 33

High School Grades 10-12 10 Key Words Digital SAT

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Word List

Word	Part of Speech	Definition	SAT Context
Culminate Positive	verb	To reach a climax or final result after a series of events	"Years of quiet research finally culminated in a single paper that reshaped the entire field."
Extrapolate Neutral	verb	To estimate or conclude something by extending known information into an area not yet known	"From just three years of rainfall data, the team extrapolated a long-term trend that later proved accurate."
Inference Neutral	noun	A conclusion reached through reasoning based on evidence rather than direct statement	"The passage never states the narrator's age directly, so readers must rely on inference to piece it together."
Innocuous Neutral	adjective	Not harmful or offensive; harmless	"What seemed like an innocuous comment during the meeting turned out to spark weeks of internal debate."
Nullify Negative	verb	To make something legally or officially invalid; to cancel out the effect of something	"The court's ruling effectively nullified the contract, freeing both parties from its original terms."
Rebut Neutral	verb	To argue against or provide evidence disproving a claim	"The senator's staff quickly prepared a statement to rebut the claims made in the opposing campaign's ad."
Repudiate Negative	verb	To refuse to accept or be associated with something; to reject formally	"The scientist publicly repudiated the study once its data were shown to have been manipulated."
Tangential Neutral	adjective	Only slightly relevant to the main subject; digressing from the central point	"The professor cut off the tangential discussion about scheduling to return to the main topic of the lecture."
Unbiased Positive	adjective	Not influenced by personal opinion; impartial	"The study's authors took extra steps to ensure an unbiased selection process for participants."
Unprecedented Neutral	adjective	Never having happened or existed before	"The storm caused unprecedented flooding, surpassing every previous record for the region."

Look-Alike Words

Commonly Confused · Similar Meaning

Rebut

To argue against a claim, usually with evidence or counterpoints.

Repudiate

To formally reject or refuse to be associated with something.

Tip: Rebut is about countering an argument point by point. Repudiate is a broader, more formal rejection of the whole thing.

Commonly Confused · Similar Function

Inference

A conclusion reached through reasoning based on available evidence.

Extrapolate

To estimate beyond known data by extending a pattern into the unknown.

Tip: Inference draws a conclusion from what's already there. Extrapolate stretches known information forward into territory that hasn't been measured yet.

Opposite Charge · Contrast Pair

Nullify

To cancel out or make something officially invalid.

Culminate

To build up to a final, climactic result.

Tip: Nullify erases something's effect entirely. Culminate is the opposite direction - a buildup reaching its peak.

Vocabulary Video

Watch - SAT Vocabulary Ep.33

Practice Quiz

SAT Vocab Ep.33 - Practice Quiz

Question 1 of 13

Years of quiet research finally __________ in a paper that reshaped the field.

Question 2 of 13

From just three years of data, the team __________ a long-term trend that later proved accurate.

Question 3 of 13

The passage never states the narrator's age directly, so readers must rely on __________ to piece it together.

Question 4 of 13

What seemed like an __________ comment turned out to spark weeks of debate.

Question 5 of 13

The court's ruling effectively __________ the contract, freeing both parties from its terms.

Question 6 of 13

The senator's staff prepared a statement to __________ the claims made in the ad.

Question 7 of 13

The scientist publicly __________ the study once its data were shown to be manipulated.

Question 8 of 13

The professor cut off the __________ discussion about scheduling to return to the main topic.

Question 9 of 13

The study's authors took extra steps to ensure an __________ selection process.

Question 10 of 13

The storm caused __________ flooding, surpassing every previous record.

Question 11 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A politician who cuts all ties with a former ally and denounces every one of his past statements is choosing to __________ him, rather than simply rebutting a single claim.

Question 12 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A scientist using ten years of temperature data to predict what temperatures might look like in fifty years is choosing to __________, rather than simply drawing an inference about the present.

Question 13 of 13

Look-Alike Check: A championship season that ends with a title after months of steady wins __________ in victory, rather than having its effect nullified.

out of 13 correct

Full explanations for every question appear below after you check your answers.

Answer Key & Explanations

1Culminate. Years of research reaching a final, field-reshaping paper is exactly what culminate means, building to a climax.

2Extrapolate. Using three years of data to project a longer-term trend is exactly what extrapolate means.

3Inference. Piecing together an unstated detail through reasoning is exactly what inference means.

4Innocuous. A comment that seemed harmless but sparked debate is exactly what innocuous describes, though the debate shows the label was misleading.

5Nullify. A ruling that cancels a contract's effect entirely is exactly what nullify means.

6Rebut. Preparing a statement to counter specific claims is exactly what rebut means.

7Repudiate. Publicly rejecting a study once its data were shown to be manipulated is exactly what repudiate means.

8Tangential. A discussion that strays from the main topic is exactly what tangential describes.

9Unbiased. Steps taken to ensure a fair, impartial process is exactly what unbiased means.

10Unprecedented. Flooding that surpasses every previous record is exactly what unprecedented means, never having happened before.

11Repudiate. Cutting all ties and denouncing every past statement is a formal, sweeping rejection, which is repudiate, going further than rebutting one specific claim.

12Extrapolate. Projecting future temperatures from past data is extrapolate, extending known information forward, rather than simply inferring something about the present.

13Culminate. A season ending in a title after months of wins is culminate, building to a peak, the opposite of nullify, which cancels an effect out.

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