Verb

verb

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Bad / Hostile

audio

sully - To damage the purity or integrity of something; to defile.

Martha spread rumors about Anne, and even though it came out later that the rumors were false, the damage had been done and Anne's reputation was sullied.

verb

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Bad / War

Url audio

invasion - when an army or country uses force to enter and take control of another country:

World War II started with the invasion of Poland by Germany on September 1, 1939.

verb

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Bad / Aggressive

Url audio

expose - To uncover or reveal something hidden or secret.

Leaving your skin uncovered in the sun can expose you to harmful UV rays.

verb

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Bad / Dishonest

Url audio

downplay - To make something seem less important than it really is.

The government downplayed the water crisis, but when the water levels fell too much, they told people to try to use less water.

verb

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Other / Stop

audio

shackle - Something that prevents freedom of movement, literally or figuratively

Because John had so much debt, he felt he couldn't consider switching careers, and therefore felt shackled to a job that he hated.

verb

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Good / Flexible

audio

swivel - Turn around a point or axis or on a swivel

Harold swiveled in his chair and made himself dizzy as a result.

verb

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Bad / Aggressive

audio

wrangle - To have a long and complicated dispute

Even after a year, the senators wrangled over the health-care legislation.

verb

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Other / Sound

audio

blare - To make or cause to make a loud, harsh sound

The car horn blared along with all of the other car horns as the traffic jam caused drivers to be upset.

verb

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Bad / Powerless

Url audio

concede - To give in or surrender, especially after a struggle or competition.

After they debated for hours , Jim showed tangible proof that he was right, and his friend reluctantly conceded that Jim was right.

verb

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Other / Wet

audio

gush - For a liquid to flow out in a rapid and plentiful stream, often suddenly

On a hot summer day, water gushed out of the fire hydrant to cool everyone down.

verb

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Bad / Steal

Url audio

embezzle - To secretly take money that is in your care or that belongs to an organization or business you work for

The accountant was convincted of having embezzled money from the company, people were surprised that he had been doing it for 10 years before it was discovered.

verb

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Good / Calm

audio

tinker - To attempt to repair or improve something in a casual way, often to no useful effect

Mitch tried to tinker with his computer before realizing that it was more broken that he had thought, and that he had to bring it to the computer store to have a professional repair it.