News from February 28–March 6, 2026
Each week, we scan the latest headlines to spot words in action. From major news stories to pop culture buzz, this feature highlights language as it’s unfolding. Stories about a potential mega-merger, a massive solar project, and developments in the Middle East all contributed to the vocabulary from this week’s news.
ayatollah
noun: a high-ranking Shiite leader regarded as an authority on religion and law
From the headlines: Iran’s political and religious leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during airstrikes on his compound by U.S. and Israeli forces. Khamenei’s reign of thirty-seven years was marked by brutal crackdowns on dissent. He studied Shia Islam as a young religious student and rose to power within a radical regime, eventually replacing its leader. Khamenei demanded loyalty and adherence to a strict form of Islam.
brine
noun: a strong solution of salt and water used in the creation of certain foods
From the headlines: When Chinese scientists were designing a new water-based battery, they searched for a neutral, nontoxic liquid solution that would carry a charge. As it turned out, the chemical combination they came up with is the same brine that’s used to make tofu. Using food-grade magnesium chloride, a safe, natural salt water, the researchers successfully produced an eco-friendly battery that can’t catch on fire.
consensus
noun: agreement reached by a group as a whole
From the headlines: In contrast to the sharp partisan divisions in Congress, lawmakers in many state governments have reached consensus on several key issues. Instead of breaking along party lines, Republicans and Democrats in state legislatures have found common ground on regulating AI and data centers. Legislators are also working together to reach consensus on policies aimed at reducing housing costs.
epitome
noun: a standard or typical example
From the headlines: When a strong gust pushed a stroller carrying a baby into Lake Michigan, thirty-year-old Lio Cundiff immediately plunged into the icy water to rescue the child. He treaded water while trying to unstrap the infant until another man and the baby’s nanny joined him, eventually lifting the child to safety together. Witnesses praised Cundiff as “the epitome of a hero,” saying his instinctive act showed courage and compassion.
fallow
adjective: left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season
From the headlines: Water shortages have pushed some California farmers to leave acres of their land fallow, and now a group of them are supporting a proposal for a massive solar project on their unused fields. The farmers have agreed to lease their fallow fields to developers planning a huge solar installation that could generate about 21,000 megawatts of electricity for Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.
impede
verb: be a hindrance or obstacle to
From the headlines: Some airlines are revising policies that impede musicians while they travel. Violinist Carolin Widmann, for example, had to purchase an extra seat for her priceless Guadagnini violin on a Lufthansa flight because its case was longer than the airline’s 55-centimeter limit for cabin items. Lufthansa has since updated that rule and others that impeded musicians, now permitting small and midsize instruments to be stored in the cabin.
jilt
verb: to reject or cast aside abruptly
From the headlines: Two months after announcing an $83 billion deal with Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery jilted the streaming company when it received a higher $111 billion bid from Paramount. In December, Warner Bros. Discovery agreed to Netflix’s offer to buy its streaming services, studios, and intellectual property, while promising it would remain an independent studio and continue to release movies in theaters. However, the company rejected that original deal in favor of Paramount’s higher offer. Netflix then bowed out, clearing the way for the potential mega-merger.
plague
noun: any epidemic disease with a high death rate
From the headlines: Researchers uncovered new insights about people who fell victim to a 7th-century plague, the first pandemic documented in historical records. The disease began in an ancient walled city in what is now Jordan before spreading widely and killing tens of millions. DNA taken from plague victims buried together in a mass grave suggests that many of them were traveling merchants and laborers from outside the region.
simultaneously
adverb: at the same instant
From the headlines: A scientist was surprised to discover that when a horse whinnies, it produces high and low sound frequencies simultaneously. Animal behavioralist Élodie Briefer found that horses use their unique vocal tract anatomy to make two different tones at the same time. The lower sound comes from the folds of the larynx, while the higher, whistle-like note is caused by air moving through a small opening in cartilage. The two parts operating in tandem results in a horse’s distinctive whinny.
stowaway
noun: a person who hides on a ship or plane for a free ride
From the headlines: A woman who was convicted last year of sneaking onto an airplane without a ticket or passport was arrested once again for taking a free ride on a flight. Svetlana Dali evaded security at Newark Liberty International Airport, slipped past United Airlines gate agents, and flew to Milan, Italy. The stowaway was arrested when she arrived at Malpensa Airport.
