DEVIATE and EXTRAPOLATE just appeared on a challenging October 2026 SAT vocabulary in context question. DEVIATE is now a new member on our list of One Hit Wonder words while EXTRAPOLATE is a member of the Double Trouble list. What is the difference between these two words? And which one was the correct answer?
Let’s begin with the definitions of DEVIATE and EXTRAPOLATE. Both words deal with trends and patterns. However, they describe completely opposite actions. DEVIATE means to depart or stray from an established norm or rule. In contrast, EXTRAPOLATE means to project or infer future trends based on existing known data.
Now let’s look at the vocabulary in context question. According to the passage, a research team discovered that the thermal conductivity of a semiconductor material known as cubic boron arsenide decreases as pressure increases. But wait! According to classical physics an increase in pressure should increase conductivity. This finding does not EXTRAPOLATE or extend classical physics. Instead, it DEVIATES or departs from the established rules of classical physics. So, DEVIATES is the correct answer!
DEVIATE – to depart or stray from an established norm or rule
EXTRAPOLATE – to project or infer future trends based upon existing known data
APUSH BONUS EXAMPLE:
In its landmark McCulloch v. Maryland decision, the Supreme Court used the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause to establish the principle that federal law takes precedence over state law. But Vice President John C. Calhoun disagreed. In the South Carolina Exposition and Protest he argued that the Constitution was merely a compact between sovereign states. Calhoun contended that if a state determined a federal law such as the high protective Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 was unconstitutional, the state had the inherent power to nullify or void the law within its borders. Calhoun’s idea of nullification thus DEVIATED from established constitutional precedents and Supreme Court decisions.