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29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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balk
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to stop, block abruptly
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Edna’s boss balked at her request for another raise.
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bane
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a burden
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Advanced physics is the bane of many students’ academic lives.
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bard
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a poet, often a singer as well
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Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard
in the history of the English language. |
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benign
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favorable, not threatening, mild
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We were all relieved to hear that the
medical tests determined her tumor to be benign. |
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bequeath
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to pass on, give
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Jon’s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother.
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bereft
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devoid of, without
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His family was bereft of food and shelter following the
tornado. |
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blandish
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to coax by using flattery
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Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into
accepting the deal. |
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blight
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a plague, disease; something that destroys hope
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The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted
many families. His bad morale is a blight upon this entire operation. |
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boisterous
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loud and full of energy
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The candidate won the vote after giving
several boisterous speeches on television. |
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boon
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a gift or blessing
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The good weather has been a boon for many businesses
located near the beach. |
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buffet
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to strike with force
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The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to
capsize them. |
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buttress
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to support, hold up; something that offers support
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The column buttresses the roof above the statue.
The buttress supports the roof above the statues. |
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brusque
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abrupt in manner; blunt
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My girlfriend tends to be brusque when she's mad.
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brazen
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shamelessly bold
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He showed a brazen disregard for the needs of others and played his music at an outrageous volume while his neighbors tried to sleep.
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bombastic
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pompous; using inflated language
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The bombastic language in the mayor's campaign speech made her seem arrogant and disconnected from the public.
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berate
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to scold
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The angry customer berated the waiter for bringing him cold soup with flecks of dirt in it.
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bellicose
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eager to fight
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The bellicose general was quick to respond militarily because of his obsession with combat.
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benevolent
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chariatable
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The benevolent cub scout did his good deed for the day wen he helped a motorist change a tire.
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barren
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sterile; unproductive
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The once beautiful grassland was now a barren desert that had maybe one or two shrubs within a four-mile radius.
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bastion
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a fortified place
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The castle's last bastion of defense crumbled when the invaders found a way to cross the moat.
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beguile
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to deceive with charm
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The con artist beguiled me out of my money, convincing me to play his game over and over.
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battered
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damaged by blows or hard usage
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The colts defense is battered by injuries.
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banal
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commonplace
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That show used to be my favorite, but its story lines became so banal that I could no longer stand the monotony.
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blatant
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brazenly obvious
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Blaring loud music despite my repeated requests for silence shows your blatant disregard for my needs.
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brawn
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muscular strength
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brevity
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breifness
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My dad's toasts are not known for their brevity: he tends to ramble on until someone yanks the microphone out of his hand.
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byzantine
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intricate; complex
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bulwark
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something that gives strong support
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The newly constructed dam is in place as a bulwark against future flooding.
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baroque
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extravagantly ornate
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