09 October 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Today’s Highlight: Today’s standout word is Deleterious – it means causing harm or damage, and it is a favourite in Banking and SSC reading passages. The two Nobel Prize in Physics editorials on IceCube and neutrinos are a must-read for science and current affairs, and the RBI repo rate hike editorial is key for Banking Awareness.

Editorial 1: Eyes on Ice: On the Nobel Prize for Physics

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Deleterious
Synonym: Harmful | Antonym: Beneficial
Example: Eating too much sugar has a deleterious effect on health.

2. Crucibles
Synonym: Testing grounds | Antonym: Sanctuaries
Example: Great leaders are often forged in the crucibles of hardship.

3. Fealty
Synonym: Loyalty | Antonym: Betrayal
Example: The knights swore fealty to the king.

4. Perpetuates
Synonym: Sustains | Antonym: Ends
Example: Silence perpetuates injustice in many workplaces.

5. Laureates
Synonym: Prizewinners | Antonym: Runners-up
Example: The laureates received their medals in Stockholm.

6. Accumulated
Synonym: Amassed | Antonym: Dispersed
Example: Dust accumulated on the unused shelves.

7. Statutes
Synonym: Laws | Antonym: Customs
Example: The club’s statutes limit membership to adults.

8. Reinforcing
Synonym: Strengthening | Antonym: Weakening
Example: Daily revision is reinforcing what students learn in class.

9. Recognises
Synonym: Acknowledges | Antonym: Ignores
Example: The law recognises every citizen’s right to vote.

10. Extensive
Synonym: Wide-ranging | Antonym: Limited
Example: The team carried out extensive tests on the machine.

Idioms

1. No man is an island
Meaning: Nobody manages alone

2. Break new ground
Meaning: Do something new

Editorial 2: Past Forward: On Brazil’s Presidential Election, the First Round

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

1. Embroiled
Synonym: Entangled | Antonym: Detached
Example: The company was embroiled in a long legal dispute.

2. Disillusioned
Synonym: Disenchanted | Antonym: Hopeful
Example: Disillusioned voters stayed away from the polling booths.

3. Abstained
Synonym: Refrained | Antonym: Participated
Example: Two members abstained from the vote.

4. Cementing
Synonym: Consolidating | Antonym: Undermining
Example: Strong results are cementing the team’s lead.

5. Annulled
Synonym: Cancelled | Antonym: Upheld
Example: The court annulled the contract.

6. Interference
Synonym: Meddling | Antonym: Neutrality
Example: Outside interference spoiled the peace talks.

7. Invalid
Synonym: Void | Antonym: Valid
Example: An unsigned form is invalid.

8. Traditionally
Synonym: Customarily | Antonym: Unusually
Example: Traditionally, Diwali is celebrated with lamps and sweets.

9. Persuade
Synonym: Convince | Antonym: Dissuade
Example: She tried to persuade him to apply.

10. Advantage
Synonym: Edge | Antonym: Disadvantage
Example: Home fans give the team an advantage.

Idioms

1. Turn the tide
Meaning: Change the situation

2. Tall order
Meaning: Very hard task

Editorial 3: The Universe Whispers Through Ghost Particles

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Inaccessible
Synonym: Unreachable | Antonym: Accessible
Example: The village is inaccessible during heavy floods.

2. Whispers
Synonym: Murmurs | Antonym: Shouts
Example: The wind whispers through the tall trees.

3. Mystery
Synonym: Puzzle | Antonym: Clarity
Example: The missing key remains a mystery.

4. Extreme
Synonym: Intense | Antonym: Mild
Example: Extreme heat closed schools across the district.

5. Messengers
Synonym: Couriers | Antonym: Recipients
Example: Pigeons were once used as messengers.

6. Silently
Synonym: Quietly | Antonym: Noisily
Example: The cat crept silently across the roof.

7. Originating
Synonym: Arising | Antonym: Ending
Example: The river originating in the hills feeds many towns.

8. Evidence
Synonym: Proof | Antonym: Disproof
Example: The police found new evidence at the scene.

9. Interiors
Synonym: Insides | Antonym: Exteriors
Example: The temple’s interiors are covered in carvings.

10. Violent
Synonym: Brutal | Antonym: Gentle
Example: A violent storm uprooted several trees.

Idioms

1. Open a window on
Meaning: Give a new view

2. Throw light on
Meaning: Make clearer

Editorial 4: She Led the Way to the Top, That’s Her Legacy

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Inherits
Synonym: Receives | Antonym: Bequeaths
Example: The new manager inherits a well-run team.

2. Consistently
Synonym: Steadily | Antonym: Irregularly
Example: She scores consistently in every mock test.

3. Questioned
Synonym: Doubted | Antonym: Accepted
Example: His decision was questioned by many.

4. Captaincy
Synonym: Leadership | Antonym: Subordination
Example: His captaincy brought discipline to the side.

5. Belonged
Synonym: Fitted | Antonym: Alienated
Example: He felt he belonged in the new school.

6. Passion
Synonym: Enthusiasm | Antonym: Apathy
Example: Her passion for teaching inspires students.

7. Recreate
Synonym: Replicate | Antonym: Destroy
Example: Chefs struggle to recreate the old recipe.

8. Protect
Synonym: Safeguard | Antonym: Endanger
Example: Helmets protect riders from serious injury.

9. Tasted
Synonym: Experienced | Antonym: Missed
Example: The team tasted victory after years of effort.

10. Smooth
Synonym: Seamless | Antonym: Rough
Example: The first week of work was smooth.

Idioms

1. Go all the way
Meaning: Reach the end

2. Take over
Meaning: Assume control

3. Step down
Meaning: Resign

Editorial 5: RBI’s Focus on Inflation Is Timely

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Dampen
Synonym: Curb | Antonym: Boost
Example: Heavy rain may dampen the festival mood.

2. Squarely
Synonym: Directly | Antonym: Indirectly
Example: The blame rests squarely on the manager.

3. Hardening
Synonym: Firming | Antonym: Softening
Example: Hardening oil prices worry importers.

4. Spike
Synonym: Surge | Antonym: Plunge
Example: A spike in onion prices hit households.

5. Pencilled
Synonym: Tentative | Antonym: Finalised
Example: The meeting is pencilled for Monday morning.

6. Unanimous
Synonym: Undivided | Antonym: Divided
Example: The jury’s verdict was unanimous.

7. Breaching
Synonym: Violating | Antonym: Obeying
Example: Prices are breaching the limit set by the government.

8. Trending
Synonym: Heading | Antonym: Reversing
Example: Prices are trending upwards this season.

9. Hike
Synonym: Rise | Antonym: Cut
Example: A fare hike upset daily commuters.

10. Timely
Synonym: Opportune | Antonym: Belated
Example: The rescue team’s timely arrival saved lives.

Idioms

1. Off the table
Meaning: No longer an option

2. Bump up
Meaning: Raise slightly

3. In a bid to
Meaning: In an attempt to

Test Yourself – 5 Questions

Q1. The editorial calls the one-winner tradition DELETERIOUS to the spirit of collaborative science. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Harmful
(B) Beneficial
(C) Harmless
(D) Pleasant
(E) Ordinary

Answer: A

Meaning: Deleterious means causing harm or damage.
Logic: ‘Harmful’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Beneficial and Harmless are opposite in sense, while Pleasant and Ordinary do not mean causing harm.

Q2. Brazil’s former president remains EMBROILED in legal battles. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Detached
(B) Entangled
(C) Cleared
(D) Absent
(E) Famous

Answer: B

Meaning: Embroiled means deeply involved in a conflict or difficulty.
Logic: ‘Entangled’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Detached and Cleared are opposite in sense, while Absent and Famous do not mean involved in trouble.

Q3. Neutrinos can probe regions that are INACCESSIBLE to conventional telescopes. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Open
(B) Visible
(C) Familiar
(D) Unreachable
(E) Nearby

Answer: D

Meaning: Inaccessible means impossible or very hard to reach.
Logic: ‘Unreachable’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Open and Nearby are opposite in sense, while Visible and Familiar do not mean impossible to reach.

Q4. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Laureates
(B) Laureats
(C) Lauriates
(D) Laurates
(E) Lareates

Answer: A

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Laureates’, meaning people honoured with a major prize.
Logic: standard English spelling, ‘laureate’ plus ‘s’.
Elimination: the remaining options drop or swap letters.

Q5. Two members ______ from the vote, so the motion passed by a narrow margin. Select the option that best fits the blank in the sentence.

(A) insisted
(B) argued
(C) celebrated
(D) abstained
(E) complained

Answer: D

Meaning: Abstained means chose not to take part or vote.
Logic: the motion passed narrowly because some members did not vote.
Elimination: insisted, argued, celebrated and complained do not fit ‘from the vote’ in this sense.

Quick Recap – Today’s Words

Deleterious (Harmful) | Crucibles (Testing grounds) | Fealty (Loyalty) | Perpetuates (Sustains) | Laureates (Prizewinners) | Accumulated (Amassed) | Statutes (Laws) | Reinforcing (Strengthening) | Recognises (Acknowledges) | Extensive (Wide-ranging) | Embroiled (Entangled) | Disillusioned (Disenchanted) | Abstained (Refrained) | Cementing (Consolidating) | Annulled (Cancelled) | Interference (Meddling) | Invalid (Void) | Traditionally (Customarily) | Persuade (Convince) | Advantage (Edge) | Inaccessible (Unreachable) | Whispers (Murmurs) | Mystery (Puzzle) | Extreme (Intense) | Messengers (Couriers) | Silently (Quietly) | Originating (Arising) | Evidence (Proof) | Interiors (Insides) | Violent (Brutal) | Inherits (Receives) | Consistently (Steadily) | Questioned (Doubted) | Captaincy (Leadership) | Belonged (Fitted) | Passion (Enthusiasm) | Recreate (Replicate) | Protect (Safeguard) | Tasted (Experienced) | Smooth (Seamless) | Dampen (Curb) | Squarely (Directly) | Hardening (Firming) | Spike (Surge) | Pencilled (Tentative) | Unanimous (Undivided) | Breaching (Violating) | Trending (Heading) | Hike (Rise) | Timely (Opportune)

Idioms: No man is an island, Break new ground, Turn the tide, Tall order, Open a window on, Throw light on, Go all the way, Take over, Step down, Off the table, Bump up, In a bid to

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