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GMAT Sentence Equivalence — practice questions

Explore 10 free Sentence Equivalence questions in GMAT Verbal Reasoning. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Sentence Equivalence questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–10 of 10.

The ambassador's statement was intentionally _______; it succeeded in soothing international outrage without committing her nation to any military intervention.Read the answer and worked solution →Far from being a bold innovator, the architect was remarkably _______, consistently relying on time-tested classical motifs rather than experimenting with novel forms.Read the answer and worked solution →Although the professor’s thesis was initially dismissed as _______ speculation, newly unearthed archival manuscripts confirmed every single one of her assertions.Read the answer and worked solution →The new mayor’s administrative style was decidedly _______; she delegated authority freely and listened attentively to junior staff rather than issuing top-down mandates.Read the answer and worked solution →His friends were alarmed by his increasingly _______ behavior; he would abandon projects without warning and change major life plans on an hourly whim.Read the answer and worked solution →The reviewer praised the author's prose for being remarkably _______, noting that not a single word was wasted across the entire 400-page historical novel.Read the answer and worked solution →Even the most _______ critics were forced to acknowledge that the pianist's performance was flawless in its technical precision and emotional depth.Read the answer and worked solution →The CEO's resignation came as a total shock to the board, as there had been no _______ warning of financial impropriety within the firm.Read the answer and worked solution →The museum curator took extraordinary precautions to preserve the _______ parchment, which was so delicate that a gentle gust of air could disintegrate its fibers.Read the answer and worked solution →Rather than reacting with fury to the harsh insult, the philosopher showed remarkable _______, maintaining absolute calm and poise.Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

The ambassador's statement was intentionally _______; it succeeded in soothing international outrage without committing her nation to any military intervention.

  1. anodyne
  2. provocative
  3. bellicose
  4. strident
  5. inflammatory
Show answer and solution

Correct answer: A. anodyne

'Anodyne' means not likely to cause offense or disagreement; soothing or inoffensive. This matches 'soothing international outrage without committing to intervention'. The other words (provocative, bellicose, strident, inflammatory) all mean aggressive or conflict-inducing.

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Far from being a bold innovator, the architect was remarkably _______, consistently relying on time-tested classical motifs rather than experimenting with novel forms.

  1. unorthodox
  2. derivative
  3. pioneering
  4. avant-garde
  5. iconoclastic
Show answer and solution

Correct answer: B. derivative

'Derivative' means imitative of the work of another person, and usually disapproved of for that reason. 'Far from being a bold innovator' sets up a direct contrast with originality.

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Although the professor’s thesis was initially dismissed as _______ speculation, newly unearthed archival manuscripts confirmed every single one of her assertions.

  1. grounded
  2. chimerical
  3. verifiable
  4. substantiated
  5. irrefutable
Show answer and solution

Correct answer: B. chimerical

'Chimerical' means wildly fanciful, unrealistic, or imaginary. The contrast 'Although... initially dismissed as [unreal], newly unearthed manuscripts confirmed...' demands a word meaning fanciful or baseless.

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How to practise

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More Verbal Reasoning topics

Text CompletionVerbal AbilityStandard EnglishVocabularyGreek and Latin RootsCritical ReasoningExpression of IdeasGrammar and Vocabulary