lapse Use the word “lapse” when there is a failure, a stop, or a decline. A temporary lapse in judgment caused Laura to make a bad decision. Terry decided to allow her auto insurance policy to lapse by not making payments, but now she can’t drive her car. (The insurance company stopped providing coverage. That’s bad!) […]
scam Use the word “scam” when a company or a person cheats or fools someone for money. The diet pills that Yolanda purchased turned out to be a scam. Don’t waste your money on lottery tickets. The lottery is a scam. It’s nothing but a scam. Dirk McMaster was involved in several scams and eventually
save To save something is to keep it in a place for future use: simple past past participle save saved saved He saves his money in a bank. She saved all of the letters that her boyfriend wrote to her. You can save meat in a freezer for a long time. They don’t save their old clothes.
satisfy To satisfy someone is to meet that person’s expectations. A company, a product, or another person tries to make you feel happy; however, in some cases, to be satisfied is to feel something less than happiness. Instead, it’s a feeling of contentment. Everything is okay or just okay. These sandwiches should satisfy our guests for now, but we’ll have
salt Salt is a type of mineral that provides flavoring for food. It’s used in food preservation, baking, and cooking. Most animals crave salt because it’s an essential nutrient in their diet. The chef added more salt to the soup. The chef made soup, but it needed more salt. He added salt to the soup. Many
salary A salary is an amount of money that is paid to an employee of a company on a yearly or monthly basis. This is different from an hourly wage, which is an amount a person makes per hour. Salaried workers usually receive a paycheck every two weeks, often on Friday, or they are regularly paid twice
sake The word “sake” is used when referring to the reason something exists or something has to happen. It’s similar to words like “good” or “safety.” Gilbert and Rhonda decided not to divorce for the sake of their children. For the sake of the company’s future, the CEO decided to resign. We’re doing this for
sag If something sags, it hangs down lower than its regular position. Things that sag might feel a weight or some other force placed upon it. The roof is sagging under the weight of a heavy snowfall. The back end of the truck is sagging because it’s carrying a load of rocks. The mattress that Todd
sample A sample is a small amount of something from a much larger amount. The sample gives a person an idea of what something tastes like, feels like, smells like, or looks like. This word is similar to the word “example.” Samples of food are often provided at grocery stores. After trying a sample of cheddar cheese,
catch simple past past participle catch caught caught The word “catch” is a popular verb that we use when receiving something in our hands: He’s about to catch the ball. He’s going to catch the ball with his hands. There are other ways to use this verb: You might catch a cold if you don’t
