Which context clue type uses a word with the same or similar meaning as the unfamiliar word?

• A. Synonym
• B. Antonym
• C. Explanation
• D. Example

Answer: (A)

Context clues help you figure out an unfamiliar word by using other words around it. A synonym clue is when a nearby word has the same or a very similar meaning, giving you a hint about the unfamiliar word. For example, in a sentence like “The trail was treacherous, a dangerous path through the rocks,” the word dangerous is a synonym for treacherous, so you can infer that treacherous means dangerous. When you encounter two words that share meaning, that’s a synonym clue helping you deduce the unknown term.