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95 Cards in this Set
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Abate
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to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
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Ebb Moderate Subside Lapse Relent Wane Let up Slacken
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Abscond
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to leave secretly
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Flee Decamp Escape
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Abstain
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to choose not to do something
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Forbear Refrain Withold
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Abyss
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an extremely deep hole
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Chasm Void
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Adulterate
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to make impure
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Doctor
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Advocate
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to speak in favor of
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Back Champion Support
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Aesthetic
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concerning the appreciation of beauty
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Artistic Tasteful
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Aggrandize
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to increase in power, influence, and reputation
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Amplify Dignify Ennoble Magnify Wax Apotheosize Elevate Exalt Swell Augment Enlarge Glorify Uplift
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Amalgamate
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to combine to mix together
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Alleviate
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to make more bearable
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Allay Ease Mitigate Assuage Lessen Palliate Comfort Lighten Relieve
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Amalgam
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a mixture, especially of two metals
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Admix Commingle Fuse Merge Blend Commix Intermingle Mingle Combine Compound Intermix Mix
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Ambiguous
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doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways
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cloudy equivocal obscure doubtful nebulous unclear dubious indeterminate vague
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Ameliorate
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to make better; to improve
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amend pacify better upgrade improve
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Anachronism
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something out of place in time
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archaism incongruity
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Analogous
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similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
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alike equivalent similar comparable homogeneous corresponding parallel
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Anomaly
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Deviation from what is normal
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aberrance deviance aberration abnormality deviance deviation ireegularity preternaturalness
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Antagonize
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to annoy or provoke to anger
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clash irritate provoke conflict oppose vex incite pester
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Antipathy
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extreme dislike
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animosity aversion repellance animus enmity antagonism hostility
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Apathy
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lack of interest or emotion
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coolness disinterest disregard impassivity lassitude phlegm unresponsiveness indifference lethargy stolidity insensibility listlessness unconcern
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Arbitrate
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to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
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adjudge determine referee adjudicate decide moderate rule
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Archaic
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Ancient, old-fashioned
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bygone, fusty, superseded, dowdy, superannuated
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Ardor
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intense and passionate feeling
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devotion fervidity
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articulate
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able to speak clearly and expressively
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lucid silver-tongued smooth-spoken
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assuage
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to make something unpleasant less servere
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allay propitiate sweeten alleviate conciliate palliate appease mollify placate
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attentuate
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to reduce in force or degree; to weaken
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debilitate enervate sap undo devitalize enfeeble unnerve rarefy undermine
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audacious
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fearless and daring
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plucky intrepid gallant stout doughty game mettlesome stouthearted unafraid venturous
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austere
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severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
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bleak dour grim
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banal
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predictable cliched boring
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innocuous musty quotidian bromidic fatuous insipid platitudinous shopworn threadbare trite hackneyed jejune prosaic stale timeworn vapid
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bolster
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to support; to prop up
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brace underpin
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bombastic
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pompous in speech and manner
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bloated grandiloquent magniloquent rhetorical declamatory grandiose orotund self-important fustian high-flown pretentious
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cacophony
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harsh, jarring noise
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discord, noise, chaos, clamor, disharmony, din
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candid
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impartial and honest in speech
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forthright undisguised
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capricious
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changing one's mind quickly and often
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changeable, whimsical, fickle, erratic, mercurial, willful
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castigate
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to punish or criticize harshly
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admonish reprimand chide reproach reprove upbraid tax
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catalyst
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something that brings about change in something else
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caustic
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biting in wit
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acerbic trenchant biting mordant
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chaos
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great disorder or confusion
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topsy-turviness scramble disarrangement disorderliness snarl
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chauvinist
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someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
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partisan
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chicanery
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deception by means of craft or guile
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artifice conniving craftiness deviousness pettifoggery sophistry shadiness subterfuge misrepresentation sneakiness underhandedness
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cogent
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convincing and well reasoned
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sound telling solid
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condone
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to overlook, pardon, or disregard
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exculpate, remit, pardon
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convoluted
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intricate and complicated
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byzantine, intricate, perplexing, complex, knotty, tangled, elaborate, labyrinthine
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corroborate
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to provide supporting evidence
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authenticate, buttress, validate, back, confirm, verify, bear out, substantiate
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credulous
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too trusting; gullible
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naive, susceptible, trusting
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crescendo
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steadily increasing volume or force
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decorum
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appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
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correctness manners seemliness decency mores etiquette propriety
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decorous
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conforming to acceptable standards
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deference
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respect, courtesy
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courtesy, obeisance, veneration, honor, respect, homage, reverence
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deride
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speak of or treat with contempt, to mock
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derisive
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in a mocking manner
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gibe, ridicule, taunt, jeer, scoff, mock, sneer
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desiccate
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to dry out thoroughly
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dry parch dehydrate
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desultory
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jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
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aimless, haphazard, purposeless, unconsidered, disconnected, indiscriminate, random, unplanned, erratic, objectless, stray
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diatribe
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an abusive, condemnatory speech
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fulmination, jeremiad, tirade, harangue, malediction, invective, obloquy
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diffident
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lacking self-confidence
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backward, demure, self-effacing, bashful, modest, shy, coy, retiring, timid
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dilate
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to make larger; to expand
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amplify enlarge develop expand elaborate expatiate
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dilatory
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intended to delay
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dragging, lagging, slow-going, flagging, slow, slow-paced, laggard, slow-footed, tardy
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dilettante
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someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
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amateur tyro dabbler superficial
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dirge
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funeral hymn or mournful speech
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elegy lament
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disabuse
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to set right; to free from error
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correct undeceive
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discern
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to perceive; to recognize
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catch differentiate espy tell descry discriminate glimpse spot
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disparate
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fundamentally different; entirely unalike
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different, diverse, dissimilar, variant, divergent, various
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dissemble
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to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
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act camouflage cover up fake affect cloak disguise feign pose sham assume counterfeit dissimulate simulate put on
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dissonance
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a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
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clash dissension friction contention dissent strife discord dissidence variance
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dogma
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a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
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creed, tenet, doctrine, teaching
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dogmatic
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dictatorial in one's opinions
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authoritarian, doctrinaire, magisterial, peremptory, bossy, domineering, masterful, dictatorial, imperious, overbearing
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dupe
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to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
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beguile cozen fool mislead betray deceive hoodwink take in bluff delude humbug trick
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eclectic
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selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
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selective catholic broad
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efficacy
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effectiveness
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dynamism, force, proficiency, effectiveness, power, strength, efficiency, productiveness, vigor
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elegy
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a sorrowful poem or speech
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dirge, lament
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eloquent
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persuasive and moving, especially in speech
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articulate, meaningful, expressive, significant, fluent, smooth-spoken
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emulate
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to copy; to try to equal or excel
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ape imitate simulate
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enervate
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to reduce in strength
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debilitate weaken enfeeble sap
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engender
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to produce, cause, or bring about
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beget proliferate generate reproduce procreate spawn
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enigma
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a puzzle; a mystery
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conundrum perplexity
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enumerate
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to count, to list, to itemize
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catalog, index, tabulate
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ephemeral
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lasting a short time
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evanescent fleeting momentary transient
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equivocate
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to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
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ambiguous evasive waffling
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erratic
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wandering and unpredictable
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capricious, whimsical, inconstant, irresolute
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erudite
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learned, scholarly, bookish
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scholastic, learned, wise
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esoteric
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known or understood by only a few
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abstruse arcane obscure
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esoteric
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known or understood by only a few
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abstruse, arcane, obscure
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estimable
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admirable
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admirable honorable praiseworthy worthy commendable laudable respectable creditable meritorious venerable
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eulogy
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speech in praise of someone
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commend extol laud
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euphemism
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use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
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circumlocution whitewash
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exacerbate
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to make worse
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annoy irritate aggravate provoke intensity
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exculpate
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to clear from blame; prove innocent
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absolve exonerate acquit vindicate clear
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exigent
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urgent; requiring immediate action
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critical urgent imperative needed
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exonerate
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to clear blame
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absolve exculpate
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explicit
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clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
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candid unequivocal frank straightforward
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fanatical
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acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
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extremist zealous fiery frenzied
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fawn
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to grovel
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bootlick pander grovel toady
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fervid
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intensely emotional; feverish
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burning vehement impassioned passionate zealous
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florid
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excessively decorated or embellished
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baroque ornate elaborate ostentatious flamboyant rococo
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foment
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to arouse or incite
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agitate instigate impassion kindle inflame
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frugality
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a tendency to be thrifty or cheap
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economical sparing parsimony prudence
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