Verb

verb

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Good / Important

Url audio

spotlight - To give special attention to a problem or situation so that people pay attention to it.

Articles in the newspaper were effective in spotlighting the fact that the animal shelter was not taking good care of the animals.

verb

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Bad / Unhappy

audio

mope - To be dejected and apathetic

Considering he had lost his job and his girlfriend on the same day, Barry felt he had every right to mope.

verb

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Other / Body

audio

tiptoe - To walking on the front part of your foot in order to move very quietly

When Bill got home past midnight, he had to tiptoe around the house so as to not wake anybody up.

verb

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Other / Stop

Url audio

dissuade - To advise against a specific decision or behavior, and discourage someone from taking a particular action.

She couldn't take the stress of her work, but her friends tried to dissuade her from quitting her job without a backup plan.

verb

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Bad / Nervous

Url audio

gnaw - To cause continual distress or discomfort, often in a mental or emotional sense.

Doubts about her decision started to gnaw at her, making it hard to focus.

verb

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Other / Shape

Url audio

overlap - The way two things can share space, features, or time.

Their work schedules overlap on Tuesdays, so they often meet for lunch.

verb

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Bad / Confused

audio

bumble - To act or speak in a confused manner.

Joe wasn't really ready for the test, but somehow by guessing here and there he bumbled his way into getting a passing mark.

verb

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Bad / Delay

Url audio

evade - To escape or avoid something, especially by cleverness or trickery.

The thief managed to evade the police by hiding in an alley.

verb

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Other / Slowly

audio

prod - To persuade or try to persuade (someone) to do something

Betty was a bit shy, but when her teacher and classmates prodded her, she showed off her beautiful voice in front of the whole school.

verb

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Bad / Delay

audio

dawdle - To delay by taking more time than necessary

"Johnny!" his mother shouted, "we have to catch the train in 30 minutes, so would you please finish getting dressed and stop dawdling."

verb

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Bad / War

audio

vanquish - To defeat thoroughly

Alexander the Great vanquished entire countries in his quest to build one of the world's biggest empires.

verb

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Bad / Steal

Url audio

shortchange - To intentionally or unintentionally deprive someone of what they deserve or expect.

The store shortchanged me when it gave me a coat that was not nearly as nice as the damaged one I had returned.