Marissa prefers to write her own messages in greeting cards; she finds that the sappy poems in store-bought cards are too MAUDLIN . 

MAUDLIN means ...

OVERLY SENTIMENTAL

We had to shorten the senator’s speech because it was far too VERBOSE. 

VERBOSE means ...

WORDY

Although the boys were never explicitly warned not to go into the haunted house, they had a TACIT agreement to avoid it.

TACIT means ... 

UNSPOKEN YET UNDERSTOOD

The existing WELTER of rules and regulations need to be simplified into a few overarching guidelines. 

WELTER means ...

BEWILDERING JUMBLE

or

TURMOIL

“Stop arguing with me,” groaned Samantha.  “As soon as I make any claim, you try to REFUTE it.”

REFUTE means ...

DISPROVE

Before the great dam was built, the waters of the Nile used to INUNDATE the river valley every year.

INUNDATE means ...

FLOOD

or 

OVERWHELM

Although Jack appreciated the raise, he knew that it was UNWARRANTED since he missed work often and skipped out on staff meetings. 

UNWARRANTED means ...

UNDESERVED

or

UNJUSTIFIED

Couch potatoes lead INDOLENT lives, slouched in their recliners watching hour upon hour of TV. indolent

INDOLENT means ...

LAZY

Even though the school did not SANCTION the use of cell phones in class, students could still hear them ringing. 

SANCTION means ...

APPROVE

or

RATIFY

Traffic was IMPEDED when a pack of kangaroos that had escaped from the zoo thumped across the interstate.

IMPEDED means ... 

BLOCKED

or 

HINDERED

The editor’s PERFUNCTORY inspection of the article overlooked several errors. 

PERFUNCTORY means ...

UNTHINKING

or

ROUTINE

or

SUPERFICIAL

Because of its cost-effectiveness and convenience, electronic billing is likely to SUPERSEDE paper billing.  

SUPERSEDE means ...

DISPLACE

or

SUPPLANT

The plan to build a new baseball stadium, though missing a few details, is VIABLE and stands to win popular support.

VIABLE means ...

PRACTICAL

or

WORKABLE

or

FEASIBLE

The INSULARITYof the islanders showed itself in their suspicion of anything foreign. 

INSULARITY means ...

NARROW-MINDEDNESS

The speeding taxicab CAREEN(ed) wildly as it rounded the corner. 

CAREEN means ...

SWERVE

or

LURCH FROM SIDE TO SIDE

Lucy was in awe of Ron’s ___ musical talent; his vocal solos could move an audience to tears. 

SUBLIME means ...

UPLIFTING

or

MAGNIFICENT

An occasional cup of coffee in the morning is relatively INNOCUOUS and should have no negative effect on most people. 

INNOCUOUS means ...

HARMLESS

or

INOFFENSIVE

In the 1960s, urban churches suffered ATTRITION of its membership as members moved from the cities to the suburbs. 

ATTRITION means ...

A WEARING AWAY 

It was painful to watch the champion LAMBASTE his opponent, tearing into him mercilessly. 

LAMBASTE means ...

BEAT

(physically or verbally)

After living in Alaska for a few months, she became INURED to the cold weather. 

INURED means ... 

ACCUSTOMED 

or 

HARDENED