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371 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Accretion
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A build-up of something
~ The accretion of silt caused the river to become shallower |
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Acerbic
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Sour; Harsh
~ Grapefruit juice is acerbic |
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Acumen
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Keen insight
~ His business acumen made him a millionaire at a young age |
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Adept
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Skilled
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Adroit
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Skilled; Nimble
~ The acrobat was adroit; he could bend himself into knots |
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Adulate
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To show excessive admiration for
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Aesthetic
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Pertaining to beauty
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Affable
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To be friendly
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Aggregate
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The sum or total
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Agog
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Highly excited
~ The audience was agog when the woman shot an arrow into the target with her toes |
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Allay
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To alleviate fear, doubt, suspicion, anger etc
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Altruist
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A person unselfishly devoted to the welfare of others
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Amalgamate
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To mix together
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Ambivalent
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To have two strong opposing feelings toward something
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Ameliorate
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To lessen in degree
~ To mitigate |
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Analogue
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Something having an analogy to something else
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Annihilate
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To destroy utterly
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Annotate
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To comment upon with notes
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Apparent
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Visible; obvious
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Appreciable
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Considerable
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Apprise
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To inform
~ The sergeant apprised his superior of the situation |
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Archetype
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The original from which other things are copied
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Armada
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A large group of vehicles
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Ascribe
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To credit with
~ To attribute |
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Assauge
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To soothe
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Augment
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To make larger
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Auspicious
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Favorable
~ Travel conditions were auspicious when the sailors set out on their voyage |
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Avow
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To declare openly
~ To confess |
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Baleful
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Menacing
~ The dark thunderclouds were baleful |
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Belligerent
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Warlike
~ The prosecuting attorney had a very belligerent attitude |
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Benediction
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Utterance of good wishes
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Benefactor
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A person who confers a benefit
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Blithe
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Cheerful and merry
~ Carefree and heedless |
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Boor
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Rude or unmannerly person
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Brazen
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Shameless or impudent
~ Made of brass ~ Harsh sounding, like struck brass |
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Brevity
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Briefness
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Burgeon
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To grow quickly
~ The burgeoning child was always outgrowing his clothes |
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Burgle
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To burglarize
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Candid
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Open and Honest
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Cantankerous
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Disagreeable and contentious
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Cataclysm
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Violent upheaval
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Caustic
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Corrosive
~ Severely critical or sarcastic |
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Censure
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An expression of strong disapproval
~ An official reprimand |
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Circumspect
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Cautious
~ John was circumspect in asking his boss for a raise |
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Cloudburst
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A sudden, strong burst of rain
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Clout
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Influence
~ A blow with the hand |
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Colander
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A perforated kitchen container made for draining food
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Collude
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To conspire
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Commensurate
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In proportion to
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Commiserate
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To sympathize
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Complaisant
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Inclined to please
~ Agreeable; Obliging ~ Harry was a complaisant employee, doing everything his boss asked him to do |
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Complement
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Something that completes or makes perfect
~ The jacket was the perfect complement to her dress, and completed the outfit |
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Concave
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Hollow and curved
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Concur
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To agree
~ To cooperate ~ To coincide |
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Condone
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To tacitly approve something
~ To pardon or forgive something immoral or unjust |
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Connote
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To signify in addition to the explicit meaning
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Conscript
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To draft for service
~ The policeman conscripted the civilian's car to chase the criminal |
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Consternation
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Sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion
~ Luke experienced a surge of consternation when Vader announced that he was Luke's father |
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Consummate
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To complete
~ To fulfill |
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Consummate (adj)
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To be superb
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Contiguous
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Touching or close to
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Contrite
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Remorseful
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Conundrum
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Riddle or puzzle
~ An intricate problem |
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Copious
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Abundant
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Corroborate
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To confirm
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Covetous
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Greedy
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Cumulative
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Growing through accumulation
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Damp
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v.-To restrain or lessen
~ adj-Slightly wet |
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Dearth
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A lack of
~ There is a dearth of water in the desert |
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Debacle
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A complete failure
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Decrepit
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Weakened by old age
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Defame
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To slander
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Deference
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Respectful submission
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Degenerate
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n.-To deteriorate
~ n.-A person of questionable morals or character |
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Delusion
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A false belief
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Demagogue
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A person who gains power and popularity by arousing the fears and passions of the people
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Demoralize
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To deprive of spirit
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Deposition
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Removal from office
~ Official testimony given under oath ~ The act of depositing |
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Depraved
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Corrupt or wicked
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Derelict
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Deserted
~The derelict apartment building had become dingy and most of its window's were broken Negligent; A bum |
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Derision
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To ridicule
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Derivative
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Not original, derived from something else
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Despotic
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Tyrannical
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Diffuse
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To spread out
~ Scattered widely |
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Dilate
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To expand
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Dilettante
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A person who dabbles in an activity
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Diminutive
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Tiny
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Disburse
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To pay out
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Discourse
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To have a conversation
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Discrete
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Apart from others
~ Discontinuous |
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Discriminate
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To make a distinction on the basis of class, group or category
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Disparate
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Distinct
~ Different |
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Dispossess
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To abandon ownership of;
~ To banish |
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Disputatious
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Argumentative
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Disseminate
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To scatter widely
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Distend
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To stretch
~ During pregnancy a woman's stomach is distended |
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Divest
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To take something way from somebody
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Doff
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To take off as in clothing
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Dupe
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To trick
~ A person who is easily foiled |
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Duplicity
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Deceitfulness
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Effrontery
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Shameless boldness
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Elusive
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Skillfully evasive
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Emaciate
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To make abnormally thin
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Emancipate
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To free
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Empirical
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Derived from experience or observation
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Emulate
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To imitate, usually something positive
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Encapsulate
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To summarize or condense
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Endemic
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Native
~ The local plants are endemic to Hawaii |
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Enfranchise
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To admit to citizenship
~ To liberate |
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Engender
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To cause
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Enjoin
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To give an order to
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Enmesh
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To entangle
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Ensconce
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To settle securely or snugly
~ To hide securely |
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Epicure
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A person with refined taste, especially in food and drink
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Epistle
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A formal letter
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Epitome
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Perfect example or embodiment;
~ Brief summary; |
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Equivocal
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Using words or statements in an intentionally misleading or ambiguous manner
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Espouse
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To adopt as one's own
~ Julie adopted the environmental cause, advocating for it whenever she had the chance |
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Euphemism
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A less offensive word substituted for a more offensive word
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Euphoria
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A feeling of happiness
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Exposition
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A large scale exhibition or show
~ Explanation |
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Expunge
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To erase
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Extol
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To praise highly
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To extricate
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To release from entanglement
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Exuberant
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Extremely excited
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Fallacious
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Logically flawed
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Fallow
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Inactive
~ After his heart attack, the farmer could no longer plant in his field and they became fallow |
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Ferment
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To agitate
~ To evolve or to change |
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Fervid
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Intensely hot
~ Vehement |
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Fetid
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Stinking
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Equivocal
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Ambiguous
(of words or statements) intentionally misleading; (of behavior) questionable; |
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Espouse
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To adopt as one's own
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Estrange
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To alienate
~ To remove |
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Euphemism
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A less offensive word that is substituted in place of a more offensive word. For example DARN!
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Exact
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adj-Precise
~ v.- To compel payment |
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Exhaustive
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Comprehensive; Draining
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Exodus
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A departure of a large amount of people
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Expedient
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To be advantageous
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Exposition
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Large scale exhibition or show
~ Explanation |
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Expunge
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To erase
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Extol
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To praise highly
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Extricate
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To release from entanglement
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Exuberant
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Extremely excited
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Fallacious
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Logically flawed
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Fallow
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Inactive
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Ferment
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To agitate
~ To evolve or change |
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Fervid
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Intense; Hot
~ Vehement |
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Fetid
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Stinking
~ Smelling bad |
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Fetter
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To shackle
~ A chain placed on the feet |
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Flag
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To signal
~ To mark ~ To decrease in energy ~ To droop |
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Flagrant
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Shockingly obvious
~ Glaring ~ Scandalous |
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Flatter
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To compliment insincerely
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Fledgling
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Inexperienced person
~ Young bird |
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Flippant
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Frivolously disrespectful
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Forment
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To instigate
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Forbear
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To refrain from doing something
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Forestall
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To hinder or prevent
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Forthright
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Straightforward; direct
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Furtive
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Secret
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Gainsay
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To deny; To oppose
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Gall
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Insubordinate rudeness
I cant believe the gall of that child, he called me old boddy ~ Something bitter ~ To make sore by rubbing ~ To vex or irritate a person His suggestion that I lose weight irritated me |
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Girder
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A beam that supports something
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Glib
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Having words that flow readily and usually insincerely
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Glut
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A full supply
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Goad
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To incite
~ His teasing goaded her into action, and she clobbered him soundly over the head with her lunchbox |
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Gravity
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Solemnity, as in grave of nature
~ The force that attracts things to earth |
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Guileless
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Sincere; Honest
~ Straightforward |
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Hackneyed
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Commonplace and trite
~ The managers hackneyed advice of work harder and stick to it tended to annoy his employees rather than inspire them |
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Hallmark
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Distinguishing mark or feature
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Hamper
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To hinder
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Harrow
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To distress
~ Piece of farm equipment |
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Hedonist
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A person whose life is devoted to pleasure and gratification
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Hew
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To hack or crop
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Hieroglyphic
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Hard to decipher
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Hinterland
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remote parts of the country, away from the coast
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Homely
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Not physically attractive
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Homogenize
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To make uniform or similar
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Homogeny
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Similarity
~ Sameness |
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Humanist
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Person who has strong concern for human welfare
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Idolatry
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Excessive or blond adoration
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Igneous
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Pertaining to fire
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Imbue
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Saturate or impregnate
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Impel
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To drive towards
~ To propel |
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Impervious
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Incapable of being penetrated
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Impetuous
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Done rashly without thought
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Impregnable
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Strong enough not to be overcome
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Improvident
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Unwary; lacking foresight
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Inane
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Silly
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Incite
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To stir up; To stimulate
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Inconstancy
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Changeable; Fickle
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Incursion
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An invasion
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Indigent
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Native
~ Poor; poverty |
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Indiscriminate
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Uncaring in selection;
~ Haphazard |
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Indomitable
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Unconquerable
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Indubitable
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Certain; Beyond doubt
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Inerrancy
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Infallibility
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Innocuous
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Not harmful; Not significant
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Insinuate
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To imply
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Insolent
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Boldly rude or disrespectful
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Interjection
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Remark injected into a conversation
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Intrepid
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Fearless
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Intrinsic
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In the very nature of something
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Irridescent
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Rainbow of lustrous colors, like a shiny CD
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Ironclad
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Inflexible
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Irresolute
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Unsure
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Itinerant
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Traveling from place to place
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Laceration
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Jagged cut
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Laden
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Loaded with something, usually burdensome
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Lament
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To mourn
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Latent
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dormant; present but not visible
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Lateral
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Pertaining to side
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Laud
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To praise
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Lethargy
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Sluggish, drowsy
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Levity
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Lightness; light hearted
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Lien
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Legal claim on someone's property
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Liquidity
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Liquid state; Easily converted into cash
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Loathsome
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Revolting; repulsive
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Loutish
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Awkward; clumsy
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Lucid
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Clear; easily understood; shining and bright
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Lumber
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To move heavily
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Luminary
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Something that gives of light
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Lustrous
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Shining
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Malevolent
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Having ill or evil intentions
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Malign
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To slander
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Manifest
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Obvious
~ To make clear ~ List of cargo goods or passengers on a ship |
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Marshal
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To arrange in order
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Metamorphose
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To transform
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Milk
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To extract or exploit
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Minion
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Servile follower
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Mollify
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To appease; To mitigate
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Mollycoddle
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To coddle or pamper
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Motile
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Able to move
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Munitions
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Materials used in war, especially weapons
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Mythologize
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To construct myths
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Natter
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To talk incessantly
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Nave
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The principal area of a church
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Nexus
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Series of connections
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Nib
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Point of a pen; or any similar object
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Normalize
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To make norma
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Noxious
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Harmful
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Obstinate
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Stubborn
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Ominous
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Threatening
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Opalescence
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Milky irridescence
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Ordination
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Official ceremony to ordain something or someone
~ The act of arranging something |
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Orthodox
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Confirming to convention
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Ostentatious
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Showy attempt tp impress others
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Outmoded
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Out of style
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PAlatable
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Acceptable to the taste
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Paradigm
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Chaos
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Pastoral
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Peaceful; charming and simple like a rural area
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Penchant
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A strong preference for something
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Perfunctory
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Performed out of duty rather than preference
~ Usually done hastily or without any care of enthusiasm |
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Perjure
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To lie under oath
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Permeable
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Able to be passed through
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Perturb
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To agitate
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Peruse
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To read with great care
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Philanthropy
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Support of altruistic causes
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Pine
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To yearn for deeply
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Pirate
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To reproduce a copyrighted work without permission
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Placid
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peaceful
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Ponderous
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Massive; Unwieldy and awkward; dull
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Postulate
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To claim; To assume
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Pragmatic
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Practical
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Prattle
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To babble
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Precipice
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Cliff;
~ A dangerous situation |
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Precipitate
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hurl downward; throw headlong; hasten; cause to happen sooner; condense and fall as rain or snow; cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution; ADJ. hasty; rash; premature; sudden
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Precocious
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Unusually Mature, especially mentally
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Precursory
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Preliminary; Introductory
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Predilection
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A preference for something or someone
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Prehensile
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Able to grasp things, figuratively and literally
~ The monkey used it's prehensile tail to hang from the trees |
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Prolific
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Fruitful; abundant
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Propagate
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Reproduce; cause to increase
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Propensity
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Natural tendency
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Propriety
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Fitness; quality of being proper; correct conduct; conformity to prevailing customs and usages
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Proscribe
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To denounce or ban
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Pungent
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Sharp or biting
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Putrefy
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To rot
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Quaff
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To drink deeply
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Qualm
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Misgiving; Sudden feeling of uneasiness
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Quandary
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A dilemma
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Quell
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To supress
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Ramification
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A consequence
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Rampart
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A protective barrier
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Raze
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To demolish; To shave off
(Raze means to shave off, same root as razor) |
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Recast
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To remodel; To change the form of something
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Recompense
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To repay
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Rectitude
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Correctness: moral correctness; moral uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgment
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Regale
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To entertain in a spledid way
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Relent
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To become less harsh
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Reparation
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Amends or compensation for wrong-doing
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Repatriate
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To send someone back to their own country
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Reproach
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To blame; To upbraid
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Reprobate
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Wicked person; morally disapproved person; person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency;
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Rhetoric
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Art of effective communication; art of using language effectively and persuasively; style of speaking or writing; grandiloquent language; Ex. political rhetoric; ADJ. rhetorical;
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Rogue
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Scoundrel; scamp
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Rue
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To regret bitterly
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Sap
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To drain
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Satiate
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To satisfy and ful
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Secede
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To withdraw formally
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Seemly
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Fitting; Suitable; appropriate
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Serrated
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Grooved edge like a saw or a dime
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Servile
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Fawning and submissive
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Sinewy
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Strong or tough
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Sinuous
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Having many turns, winding
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Skiff
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A small boat
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Sloth
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Slow moving animal
~ Laziness |
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Solidarity
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A fellowship that arises from a common interest or responsibility
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Solvent
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Substance that dissolves something
~ Able to pay debts |
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Squelch
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To tread heavily in the mud
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Staid
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Dignified and sedate; self control to the point of being boring
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Stanch
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To stop the flow of something
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Stasis
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Inactivity caused by opposing equal forces
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Statutory
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Legally punishable
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Stigma
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Mark of disgrace
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Stoic
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One who is unaffected by emotion
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Stolid
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Impassive; dull; impassive; showing little emotion when strong feelings are expected
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Stratum
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A layer
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Strident
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Irritating; especially in a shrill or grating way
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Subjugate
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To bring under complete control; To enslave
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Summarily
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Prompt and without notice
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Sunder
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To separate
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Superfluity
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Excess
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Surmountable
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Able to be overcome
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Suture
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To sow together
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Table
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To set aside for cnsideration
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Tamp
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To tap down slightly
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Tangetial
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Slightly connected; digressive
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Tedium
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Something that is tedious or wearisome
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Teeming
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Swarming
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Temper
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To moderate
~ State of mind ~ Outbursts of anger |
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Temperate
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Moderate
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Tenacious
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Holding fast, as in a tenacious grip
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Tender
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To offer as payment
~ Delicate |
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Tepid
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Lukewarm
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Toady
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A suck-up or kissup
~ Sycophant |
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Torque
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To cause to twist
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Torrent
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Gush; downpour
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Tout
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To solicit, promote or praise
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Tragedian
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Actor who performs tragedies
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Transgress
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To violate a law
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Transient
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Not permanent
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Transpose
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To change places; to transfer
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Travesty
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Example of something that completely misrepresents the true nature of the real thing; comical parody or imitation; treatment aimed at making something appear ridiculous;
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Trowel
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A tool with a flat blade and handle used for working with a mortar which is used to lay brick
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Turbid
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Clouded; dense; confused or tumultuous
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Tyranny
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Despotic abuse of authority
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Unfeigned
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Sincere; Genuine
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Unpalatable
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Tasting bad
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Unseemly
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Inappropriate
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Upbraid
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To reproach severely
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Upstage
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To overshadow another person
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Vacillate
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To be indecisive
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Valiant
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Brave
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Vapid
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Dull
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Venerable
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Well-respected because of great age or impressive dignity
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Venerate
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To revere and treat with awe
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Verbose
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Wordy
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Veritable
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Very much so
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Vernacular
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Speech used by local people
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Vie
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To compete
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Virtuosity/Virtuoso
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Exceptional skill shown by a master
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Volatile
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Explosive
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Voluminous
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Very large, able to fill volumes
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voracious
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Craving large amounts
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Vortex
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Whirling mass of water
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Waffle
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To equivocate
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Warranted
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Grounded; Not groundless
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Welter
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To roll, toss, heave,
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Willful
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Stubborn
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Zealot
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A fanatic
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Zenith
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Highest point of something
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