One type of word problems in the GRE will utilize antonyms, which are word pairs that represent opposites. A way to figure out these opposites is to understand a word's roots, prefixes and suffixes. Roots are the primary component of words. Suffixes are placed at the end of words. Prefixes are placed before the stem of the word. For example, if you had words with the prefixes of intra (inside) and extra (outside), you might be able to distinguish the correct antonym pair in the question.
If you are stumped on the meaning of a word, look for its synonym. A synonym is a word that has the same or similar meaning. If you are unsure what a word means, take a best guess approach and plug in potential synonyms. For example, in the sentence, "Today we must see the markers of our social behaviors on our children," you may think that the main point is what is being done to children. If you don't understand the word "marker," thinking through the sentence and substituting synonyms, such as "outcomes" or "effects," might help you guess the meaning of the word.
Read the sentences in your GRE question very carefully because you will be expected to grasp the meaning behind words. One key to staying on track is to keep the information and sentences in proper context. For example, if you are confused by the sentence, "Abraham Lincoln had an emancipating effect on slaves in the U.S.," because you do not know what emancipating means, consider the context of the sentence. Ask yourself questions, such as "What did Lincoln do?" This may help you figure out that emancipating means freeing.
As a last resort, knowing that GRE answers are multiple choice may help. If you cannot figure out the meaning of a word, eliminate the most likely wrong answers. Look at answers that give one choice that you know is incorrect. Mark them off. Look for an answer that offers two choices, such as "answer a and c." If you know that "c" is not valid, then you can mark this choice off. Continue to work on the answers until you have found the best option.