News from July 18–July 24, 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 raging wildfires, office etiquette, and a Sunset Strip sinkhole all contributed to the vocabulary from this week’s news.
bivalve
noun: an aquatic creature with two connected hinged shells
From the headlines: Thanks to conservation efforts, the New England population of endangered oystercatchers is up 45 percent since 2008. Hunting and egg collecting in the early 20th century threatened the large, black-and-white shorebirds with extinction. Oystercatchers, as their name suggests, survive on oysters and other bivalves. They are the only birds in their ecosystem that can pry open the shellfish with their long beaks, rather than dropping them from above onto rocks.
botch
verb: make a mess of, destroy, or ruin
From the headlines: An Indian hunger striker who demanded the education minister’s resignation was forcibly taken to a hospital by police. Sonam Wangchuk was demonstrating in solidarity with protests accusing India’s National Testing Agency of having botched the administration of medical school entrance exams. Test questions were allegedly leaked and sold, and there were accusations of unfair grading, tampered results, and other blunders.
combustible
adjective: capable of igniting and burning
From the headlines: Wildfires continued to burn across Canada, with many in areas so remote that firefighters cannot contain them. Lightning sparked numerous blazes in the combustible pine and spruce forests of northern Ontario, where dry trees provide abundant fuel, although several other fires were reportedly caused by humans. Water-dropping aircraft are unable to completely extinguish forest fires without support from ground crews, and these fires are unreachable due to the lack of roads in the region.
consecutive
adjective: one after the other
From the headlines: Spain defeated Argentina to claim the World Cup title while extending the team’s unbeaten streak to thirty-eight consecutive matches. The run surpassed the previous record held by Italy. Spain also became the first team to allow only one goal throughout an entire World Cup, which came in their quarterfinal against Belgium.
deluge
noun: a great flood of water
From the headlines: A broken water main briefly turned Hollywood’s Sunset Strip into a rushing river. For roughly six hours, the deluge poured into underground garages, cafes, and stores before crews brought it under control. The flooding also opened a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard, forcing several streets to remain closed for days and destroying about 200 cars. No injuries were reported.
devolution
noun: the transfer or delegation of authority
From the headlines: Andy Burnham became the new U.K. prime minister after receiving support from a majority of lawmakers in the ruling Labour Party. Burnham’s proposed policies emphasize devolution, which will restore certain powers to city mayors and other regional authorities. Supporters say putting more power in the hands of local governments would allow their elected officials to make decisions about things like education, healthcare, and public transportation.
dissident
adjective: objecting to an established policy
From the headlines: Cuban dissident artist and musician Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was exiled to the United States this weekend. Alcántara was arrested as he participated in historic 2021 antigovernment protests, and he served five years in prison on charges of contempt, insulting national symbols, and disturbing the public order. His sentence was ended on the condition that he leave Cuba.
etiquette
noun: rules governing socially acceptable behavior
From the headlines: A new summer dress code allowing Japanese government office workers to wear shorts has stirred up debate over office etiquette. The new policy is meant to conserve energy and make employees more comfortable, but it marks a big change in traditional workplace conventions and manners. Many women have objected to seeing the bare legs of their male colleagues, causing the local media to coin the term sunehara, which roughly translates to “leg-hair harassment.”
perturb
verb: make uneasy or cause to be worried
From the headlines: Paleontologists were perturbed after a major Tyrannosaurus rex fossil was sold to an anonymous private buyer rather than acquired by a museum. The specimen, nicknamed Gus, fetched a record $50 million at auction. Scientists criticized Sotheby’s over the sale, fearing the fossil will no longer be available for research or public display.
seditious
adjective: inciting action or rebellion
From the headlines: Five booksellers in Hong Kong were arrested and charged with selling seditious books. A police statement said the publications were intended to stir up anger and dissent. Hong Kong, once known for its freedom of expression, has cracked down on speech seen as disloyal to the government in recent years.
