The definition for abate is "Become less in amount or intensity." Used in a sentence: Just when it seemed the rain would never stop, the storm suddenly began to abate.

The definition for catastrophic is "Relating to extreme misfortune." Used in a sentence: The effects of the massive hurricane were catastrophic.

The definition for composed is "Calm." Used in a sentence: Although her stomach was in knots, the actress appeared perfectly composed when she took the stage.

The definition for distortion is "The act of twisting out of shape." Used in a sentence: The story about the actress in the gossip column was a distortion of the truth.

The definition for placebo is "An inactive substance used in medical testing." Used in a sentence: Tom, who had taken the placebo, found that his allergy symptoms did not go away.