Question: scathing

Answer: I now know that Gulliver’s Travels, far from being a children’s book, is a work of mature and __ satire.

Question: blazoned

Answer: The verbal sparring that took place between the two head coaches was ___ across headlines nationwide.

Question: straitlaced

Answer: You may regard her ideas as __ but I think they reflect good thinking and sound values.

Question: unwieldy

Answer: The rules of the club pried so __ that it was all but impossible to carry on business.

Question: extricate

Answer: How easy it is for a nation to become trapped in an inflationary price rise; how difficult to ___ itself from the upward spiral.

Question: soporific

Answer: I didn’t expect the play to be particularly stimulating, but I certainly never anticipated its overwhelming ___ power.

Question: caveat

Answer: Instead of brooding about past wrongs, I suggest that you declare a personal ___ and start thinking about the future.

Question: fractious

Answer: We had many talented players, but the ___ behavior of a few individuals impaired our team spirit and led to a losing season.

Question: equitable

Answer: Arriving at ___ arrangements in human affairs often requires sound judgement, as well as good intentions.

Question: autonomy

Answer: Young people, tired of being controlled by parents, teachers, and others, often have a strong impulse to gain ___.