21 October 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Today’s Highlight: Today’s standout word is Behemoth – it means a huge and powerful company or thing, and it often appears in Banking and SSC reading passages. The Meta editorial is key for science and technology current affairs, the leap hour editorial is a handy fact-rich read on timekeeping, and the Juhu shooting editorial is useful for internal security and law and order questions.

Editorial 1: Meta’s Open-weight Gambit Points to AI’s Changing Global Play

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Proprietary
Synonym: Exclusive | Antonym: Open
Example: The firm kept its proprietary software hidden from rival companies.

2. Behemoth
Synonym: Giant | Antonym: Dwarf
Example: The retail behemoth opened fifty new stores this year.

3. Regain
Synonym: Recover | Antonym: Forfeit
Example: The team hopes to regain the trophy next season.

4. Default
Synonym: Standard | Antonym: Custom
Example: English is the default language on her new phone.

5. Recalled
Synonym: Withdrawn | Antonym: Issued
Example: The company recalled thousands of faulty heaters last month.

6. Hardware
Synonym: Equipment | Antonym: Software
Example: Training large models needs costly hardware that small firms lack.

7. Capabilities
Synonym: Abilities | Antonym: Incapacity
Example: The new phone has impressive camera capabilities.

8. Adapt
Synonym: Modify | Antonym: Retain
Example: Teachers can adapt the lesson to suit each class.

9. Release
Synonym: Launch | Antonym: Withhold
Example: The studio announced the release of its latest film.

10. Freedom
Synonym: Liberty | Antonym: Restriction
Example: Students enjoy the freedom to choose their own projects.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Editorial 2: Sure, Measure Time. But Let Lunch Hour Be an Illusion

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Illusion
Synonym: Delusion | Antonym: Reality
Example: The mirror created an illusion of a much larger room.

2. Wayward
Synonym: Erratic | Antonym: Steady
Example: A wayward kite drifted away over the rooftops.

3. Mystical
Synonym: Spiritual | Antonym: Mundane
Example: Pilgrims described a mystical calm inside the old temple.

4. Province
Synonym: Domain | Antonym: Periphery
Example: Public safety is the province of local authorities.

5. Subtle
Synonym: Delicate | Antonym: Obvious
Example: She noticed a subtle change in his tone.

6. Atomic
Synonym: Nuclear | Antonym: Macroscopic
Example: Atomic clocks keep time far more precisely than watches.

7. Drama
Synonym: Theatrics | Antonym: Calm
Example: The final over brought plenty of drama to the match.

8. Comedy
Synonym: Humour | Antonym: Tragedy
Example: We watched a light comedy after the long exam.

9. Experiments
Synonym: Trials | Antonym: Theories
Example: Students performed experiments to test how plants respond to light.

10. Fortunately
Synonym: Luckily | Antonym: Unfortunately
Example: Fortunately, the rain stopped before the match began.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Editorial 3: A Shooting in Juhu, a Warning for Mumbai

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

1. Assailants
Synonym: Attackers | Antonym: Defenders
Example: Police identified the assailants from nearby camera footage.

2. Foothold
Synonym: Footing | Antonym: Setback
Example: The start-up gained a foothold in the local market.

3. Barring
Synonym: Prohibiting | Antonym: Permitting
Example: Orders barring entry after dark are strictly enforced.

4. Bystander
Synonym: Onlooker | Antonym: Participant
Example: A bystander was hurt when the crowd ran for cover.

5. Chilling
Synonym: Frightening | Antonym: Reassuring
Example: The report gave a chilling account of the attack.

6. Turf
Synonym: Territory | Antonym: Outskirts
Example: The two groups fought over turf in the old market.

7. Publicity
Synonym: Exposure | Antonym: Obscurity
Example: The film’s stars drew huge publicity before its opening.

8. Outfit
Synonym: Organisation | Antonym: Individual
Example: Police said a banned outfit planned the attack.

9. Psychological
Synonym: Mental | Antonym: Physical
Example: The attack caused deep psychological stress to the family.

10. Reportedly
Synonym: Allegedly | Antonym: Definitely
Example: The minister reportedly met the officials on Monday.

Idioms

1. Brought to book
Meaning: Made to face punishment

2. Come to the fore
Meaning: Become clearly visible

Test Yourself – 5 Questions

Q1. Unlike open models, PROPRIETARY models keep their parameters under patent. Select the option that is the closest antonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Exclusive
(B) Private
(C) Patented
(D) Restricted
(E) Open

Answer: E

Meaning: Proprietary means owned and controlled by one company, not freely shared.
Logic: ‘Open’ is its closest antonym.
Elimination: Exclusive, Private, Patented and Restricted are all near-synonyms, not opposite.

Q2. Identify the correctly spelt word among the options below.

(A) Illusion
(B) Ilusion
(C) Illussion
(D) Illusoin
(E) Ilusiion

Answer: A

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Illusion’, meaning a false idea or appearance that seems real.
Logic: ‘ill-‘ plus ‘usion’.
Elimination: the remaining options change, drop or swap letters.

Q3. Meta, the American tech BEHEMOTH, has now released an open-weight version of its model. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Giant
(B) Dwarf
(C) Minnow
(D) Speck
(E) Pygmy

Answer: A

Meaning: Behemoth means a huge and powerful company or thing.
Logic: ‘Giant’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Dwarf, Minnow, Speck and Pygmy are opposite in sense.

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

(A) Wayword
(B) Wayward
(C) Wayard
(D) Waywardd
(E) Weyward

Answer: B

Meaning: The correctly spelt word is ‘Wayward’, meaning hard to control; straying from the expected path.
Logic: ‘way’ plus ‘ward’.
Elimination: the remaining options change, drop or swap letters.

Q5. Meta hopes its open model will help it REGAIN lost ground in the AI race. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Forfeit
(B) Recover
(C) Lose
(D) Squander
(E) Surrender

Answer: B

Meaning: Regain means to get back something that was lost.
Logic: ‘Recover’ is its closest synonym.
Elimination: Forfeit, Lose, Squander and Surrender are opposite in sense.

Quick Recap – Today’s Words

Proprietary (Exclusive) | Behemoth (Giant) | Regain (Recover) | Default (Standard) | Recalled (Withdrawn) | Hardware (Equipment) | Capabilities (Abilities) | Adapt (Modify) | Release (Launch) | Freedom (Liberty) | Illusion (Delusion) | Wayward (Erratic) | Mystical (Spiritual) | Province (Domain) | Subtle (Delicate) | Atomic (Nuclear) | Drama (Theatrics) | Comedy (Humour) | Experiments (Trials) | Fortunately (Luckily) | Assailants (Attackers) | Foothold (Footing) | Barring (Prohibiting) | Bystander (Onlooker) | Chilling (Frightening) | Turf (Territory) | Publicity (Exposure) | Outfit (Organisation) | Psychological (Mental) | Reportedly (Allegedly)

Idioms: Brought to book, Come to the fore