Verb

verb

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Other / Inward

audio

preen - To devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one's appearance

Before every job interview, Fritz would preen himself in the mirror to make sure he looked presentable.

verb

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Bad / Disorganized

audio

garble - To distort a message so that it is unclear or confusing

When the astronauts landed on Mars, static garbled their voices so none of the billions of people on earth watching on TV could understand what they were saying.

verb

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Other / Shape

Url audio

dovetail - To fit or work together smoothly and perfectly.

The two departments tried to dovetail their efforts in order to finish the job on time.

verb

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Other / Slowly

Url audio

winnow - To slowly remove or eliminate less important or undesirable parts.

The committee had to winnow down the list of candidates to just two finalists.

verb

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Bad / Unhappy

audio

weep - To shed tears

Unable to control their emotions any longer, the mourners at the funeral couldn't help but weep when the pastor spoke of their deceased relative.

verb

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Other / Entice

audio

entice - To attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage

Evan wasn't supposed to eat the donut, but Dennis enticed him by waving one in front of his face.

verb

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Bad / Afraid

audio

shudder - To tremble and shake, typically as a result of fear

Zeke shuddered when he saw the creepy tarantula approaching him.

verb

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Bad / Mistake

audio

squander - To waste something, such as money or time, in a reckless and foolish manner

Many lottery winners end up squandering their fortune and returning to their life of poverty.

verb

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Bad / Attack

audio

harass - To subject someone to aggressive pressure or intimidation

Erin didn't know who to turn to when her boss harassed her with uncomfortable physical contact.

verb

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Bad / Aggressive

audio

squelch - To inhibit or suppress

The press secretary firmly denied and squelched the false rumors about the president's policy.

verb

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Good / Pleasure

audio

bask - To lie exposed to warmth and sunlight for relaxation and pleasure.

When Joe completed the project, he took a week off and did nothing but bask in the sun on the beach, of course totally covered with sun tan lotion.

verb

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Good / Calm

Url audio

contemplate - To spend time considering a possible future action, or to consider one particular thing for a long time in a serious and quiet way.

Now that Angela had graduated from college, she had to contemplate whether to get a job or get a more advanced degree.