The definition for appraise is "To evaluate the worth of." Used in a sentence: Simone, an expert in African sculpture, was asked to appraise the ambassador's collection of masks.

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 pretentious is "Making unjustified claims." Used in a sentence: The pretentious boy said that he was the fastest runner, but he finished last in the race.

The definition for prune is "To reduce by removing excess." Used in a sentence: The candidate pruned his speech so he would not exceed the time limit.

The definition for surplus is "Excess." Used in a sentence: Trevor decided to freeze the surplus chili for next week's tailgate party.