Greetings word detective! Which word from the set of brackets would best finish this sentence?
Smile is to grin as cry is to (tears, weep, sad).
First, we have to work out how the word smile is connected to the word grin. Grin is another word which means the same as smile. We call this a synonym.
This means we have to select a word which is a synonym for cry in order to best complete the sentence.
The correct answer is weep, as it is a synonym for cry.
In this type of question, you must always find the connection between the words first. The connection isn’t always a synonym. Here are some other connections to look out for.
| Connection | Example |
| Synonyms (similar meaning) | Start is to begin... |
| Antonyms (opposite meaning) | On is to off... |
| What something is made of | Shirt is to cotton... |
| What something goes inside of | Tea is to teapot... |
Now let’s try another question:
Morning is to breakfast as evening is to (meal, picnic, dinner).
First, work out how the word morning is connected to the word breakfast. It refers to the time of day we eat a certain meal.
This means we have to select a word that names the meal we would have in the evening.
The correct answer is dinner, because this is our evening meal.
Now it’s your turn.
Remember to find those connections!
