Ten Songs That Teach You Ten SAT Words

Published September 23, 2026 · A starter playlist. Every word links to the exact second it's sung.

If you're studying for the SAT and flashcards aren't sticking, start here instead. Below are ten songs — most of them songs you already know — each carrying one advanced vocabulary word, with the definition and the exact lyric moment.

The idea is simple: play the song, catch the word, and let the melody do the memorization. You can get through this list in about 40 minutes, which is roughly one study session.

1. strut — Bruno Mars, "The Lazy Song"

I'll just strut in my birthday suit

Strut (verb): to walk with a vain, self-important gait. Remember it by: the joke of the song. Strutting implies showing off — which is funny in a song about doing absolutely nothing.

2. subside — Guns N' Roses, "November Rain"

And when your fears subside

Subside (verb): to become less intense; to settle down. Remember it by: floodwater. Sub- means "down," and subsiding is what water does after a storm — which is the entire image of the song.

3. muse — John Legend, "All Of Me"

You're my downfall, you're my muse

Muse (noun): a source of artistic inspiration. Remember it by: the nine Muses of Greek mythology, goddesses who inspired poetry and music. Same root as museum — originally a place dedicated to them.

4. cynical — Billie Eilish, "bad guy"

My soul? So cynical

Cynical (adjective): distrustful of others' motives; believing people act from self-interest. Remember it by: the Cynics, ancient Greek philosophers who rejected conventional values and assumed the worst of social convention.

5. eclipse — Coldplay, "Something Just Like This"

The testaments they told, the moon and its eclipse

Eclipse (noun/verb): the obscuring of one body by another; to surpass or overshadow. Remember it by: the astronomy meaning is the easy one. The SAT usually wants the second: a finding that eclipses previous research.

6. manipulate — Shawn Mendes, "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back"

Manipulate my decisions

Manipulate (verb): to control or influence cleverly, often unfairly. Remember it by: the Latin manus, hand — the same root as manual and manuscript. To manipulate is to handle.

7. covert — Taylor Swift, "Anti-Hero"

Did you hear my covert narcissism

Covert (adjective): hidden, secret, not openly acknowledged. Remember it by: its opposite, overt. Covert is covered. Bonus word in the same line: narcissism.

8. accolade — Eminem, "Rap God"

But look at the accolades, these skills brung me

Accolade (noun): an award or expression of praise, formally conferred. Remember it by: the original meaning — a touch on the shoulder with a sword when knighting someone. It has always meant official recognition.

9. conform — Slayer, "South of Heaven"

Forgotten children conform a new faith

Conform (verb): to comply with rules or standards; to behave according to social convention. Remember it by: the irony of hearing it in a thrash metal song. (Metal is surprisingly good at this.)

10. linger — Evanescence, "My Immortal"

'Cause your presence still lingers here

Linger (verb): to remain in a place longer than necessary; to be slow to disappear. Remember it by: the song is entirely about something that won't leave. There is no better mnemonic than a whole ballad built around the word.

What to do next

Play the ten. Then pick five words you didn't know and find other songs that use them — every word page on this site lists every song in our database that contains it, so linger alone will hand you dozens more.

Then keep going: the full word list has more than 1,800 of these, and the artist leaderboard will show you which musicians will teach you the most. If you want the fastest route, Kendrick Lamar averages more than two advanced words per song.

Ten words down. Only about 1,800 to go — but you'll get most of them the same way you got these, which is to say without really trying.