Term
Admonish Verb
3
The librarian had to admonish the noisy students several times before they settled down
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Definition
to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty
Syn Ant
warn praise
call on the carpet pat on the back |
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Term
breach Noun/verb
1
because of a serious breach of the rules, two players were ejected from the game
our troops were unable to breach the enemy's lines during the battle |
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Definition
(N)an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction;(V) to create an opening, break through
ANT
(V) close, seal |
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Term
Brigand N
Ancient caravans passing through desolate areas were sometimes attacked by brigands
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Definition
| a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwaymen |
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Term
circumspect Adj
it is important for a diploment to behave in a manner that is both discreet and circumspect |
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Definition
careful, cautious
Syn ant
wary incautious
prudent rash
guarded reckless
heedless |
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Term
commandeer V
Under certain circumstances the government has the right to commander
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Definition
to seize for military or official use
Syn take over
requisition
expropriate
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Term
cumbersome adj
the bus was filled to caapacity with holiday shoppers carrying large and cumbersome packages |
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Definition
clumsly, hard to handle; slow-moving
Syn Ant
unwieldy, manageeable
ponderous easy to handle |
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Term
deadlock N, V
After 15 innings, the score remained a frustrating 3-to-3 deadlock
the refusal of labor and management to modify thier demands deadlock the contract negotiations |
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Definition
(N) a stand still resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions;(V) to bring to such a standstill Syn Ant
(N) standoff (N)agreement
stalemate accord
impasse breakthrogh |
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Term
debris N
after the strom, the beach was littered with driftwood and other debris
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Definition
scattered fragments, wreakage
Syn
rubble
detritus
flotsam
jetsam |
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Term
diffuse V, Adj
The scent of lilacs slowly diffuse through the open window
the speech was so long and diffuse that most members of the audience were thoroughly confused by it
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Definition
(V) to spread or scatter freely or wildly;(adj) wordy, long winded, or unfocused;scattered or widely spread
Syn Ant
(V) disperse; (V) concentrate
(Adj)rambling (Adj) brief
verbose consise
prolix succinct
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Term
dilemma N
during the crisis the president found himself caught in a painful dilemma |
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Definition
a difficult or perplxing situation or problem
Syn Ant
predicament cinch
quandary
pickle
bind
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Term
efface V
Time had effaced almost all signs of the time struggle that took place on the famous battlefield. |
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Definition
To wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed
Syn
blot out
erase
obliterate
expunge
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Term
muddle V/N
Too much stress and too little sleep will almost certainly muddle a person's ability to concentrate.
The muddle was principlally caused by the failure to carry out the general 's orders properly. |
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Definition
To make a mess of; muddle through; to get by;
A hopeless mess
Syn Ant
jumble orderliness
mess up tidiness
confusion neatness
disorder |
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Term
opinionated ADJ
My boss is not too opinionated to listen to a reasonable proposal.
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Definition
Stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one's own ideas, having a closed mind.
Syn Ant
Obstinate Open minded
Pigheaded Reasonable |
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Term
perennial ADJ/ N
Pizza is a perennial favorite of young and old alike in the United States. |
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Definition
Lasting for a long time, peristent;
A plant that lives for many years
Syn Ant
enduring brief
recurring short lived
fleeting
ephemeral |
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Term
predispose V
My genetic makeup seems to predispose me to colds and sore throats. |
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Definition
To incline to beforehand.
Syn Ant
make susceptible to Immunize against
Shield from |
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Term
relinquish V
Severe illness forced me to relinquish my role in the school play.
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Definition
To let go; give up
Syn Ant
surrender hold on to
abandon keep
retain
cling to |
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Term
salvage V/N
Fortunately, we were able to salvage a few things from the fire.
Salvage from sunken ships can be of great value to archaeologist and historians |
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Definition
To save from fire or shipwreck
property thus saved
Syn Ant
rescue abandon
recover scrap
retrieve junk
reclaim |
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Term
spasmodic ADJ
Spasmodic flashes of lightning and booming thunderclaps were accompanied by torrential rain. |
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Definition
Sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent
Syn Ant
Irregular Steady
occassional continuous
chronic |
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Term
spurious ADJ
Manufacturers who make spurious claims for their products may fave fines or lawsuits.
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Definition
Not genuine, not true, not valid
Syn Ant
false genuine
counterfeit authentic
fraudulent bona fide
bogus valid |
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Term
unbridled ADJ
Sometimes the unbridled enthusiasm of sports fans can get a little out of hand. |
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Definition
Uncontrolled, lacking in restraint
Syn Ant
unrestrained restrained
unchecked held in check
muted
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