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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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Abase
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to humble, disgrace
Synonyms: demean, humiliate |
My intention wasn't to abase the comedian. |
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Abate
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to reduce in amount, degree, or severity.
Syn: ebb, lapse, let up, moderate, relent, slacken, subside, wane. |
As the hurricane's force abated , the winds dropped and the sea became calm.
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Abdicate
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to give up a position, right, or power.
Syn: cede, relinquish, resign, quit, yield. |
With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne.
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Aberrant
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deviation from what is normal or expected.
Syn: abnormal, anomalous, deviant, divergent, errant, irregular. |
Since he had been a steady, cheerful worker for many years, his fellow postal workers didn't expect his burst of rage.
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Abeyance
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temporary suppression or suspension.
Syn: deferral, delay, dormancy, postponement, remission. |
The baseball game was held in abeyance while it continued to rain.
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Abjure
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to reject, abandon formally.
Syn: forswear, recall, recant, retract, take back. |
The spy abjured his allegiance to the US when he defected to Russia.
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Abscond
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to leave secretly
Syn: decamp, escape, flee |
The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill.
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Abstain
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to choose not to do something
Syn: forbear, refrain, withhold. |
Before the medical procedure, you must abstain from eating.
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Abstemious
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moderate in appetite
Syn: abstinent, continent, self-restraining, sober, temperate. |
Because Alyce is a vegy she was only able to eat an abstemious meal at the steakhouse.
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Abyss
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an extremely deep hole.
Syn: chasm, void |
The submarine dove into the abyss to chart the previously unseen depths.
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Accretion
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a growth in size, an increase in amount.
Syn: accumulation, buildup |
The committee's strong fund raising efforts resulted in an accretion in scholarship money.
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Acidulous
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sour in taste or manner
Syn: acrebic, acestone, biting, piquant, pungent, tart. |
The acidulous taste of the spoiled milk made the young boy's lips pucker.
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Acme
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higher point, summit, the highest level or degree attainable.
Syn: apex, peak, summit. |
Just when he reached the acme of his power, the dictator was overthrown.
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Adulterate
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to make impure.
Syn: debase, doctor, load. |
The restauranteur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water.
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Advocate
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to speak in favor of.
Syn: back, champion, support. |
The vegeterial advocated a diet containing no meat.
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Aerie
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A nest built high in the air; an elevated, often secluded dwelling.
Syn: perch, stronghold. |
Perched high among the trees, the eagle's aerie was filled with eggs.
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Aesthetic
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concerning the appreciation of beauty.
Syn: artistic, tasteful. |
The aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty to be the only true purpose of art.
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Affected
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phony, artificial
Syn: insincere, pretentious, put-on. |
The affected hairdresser spouted French phrases, though she had never been to France.
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Aggrandize
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to increase in power, influence and reputation.
Syn: amplify, augment, elevate. |
The supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own.
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Alacrity
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promptness, cheerful readiness.
Syn: eagerness, swiftness |
The restaurant won a reputation for fine service since the wait staff responded to their client's with alacrity.
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