Verb

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Other / Move

verb

lurch - Make an abrupt, unsteady, uncontrolled movement or series of movements; stagger

The town drunk lurched home, never managing to walk a straight line.

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Other / Sound

verb

muffle - To make (a sound) quieter : to decrease the noise made by (something)

Anna muffled her ears with her hands so she wouldn't have to hear the loud noises from the construction workers.

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Bad / Confused

verb

boggle - For a person to be astonished or overwhelmed when trying to imagine something

Looking up at the stars and imagining the size of the universe can boggle a person's mind.

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Other / Sound

verb

murmur - Say something in a low, soft, or indistinct voice

Katy murmured to her best friend Ella so that others couldn't hear her.

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Bad / Dishonest

verb

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Eavesdrop - To secretly listen to a conversation without being invited.

He tried to eavesdrop on the phone coversation of the person sitting next to him.

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Bad / Dishonest

verb

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Deceive - To mislead or trick someone, especially for personal gain.

Don’t try to deceive me — I know what really happened.

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Bad / Aggressive

verb

coerce - To force an unwilling person to do something by using force or threats.

Betty was coerced into going medical school by her parents, and she eventually dropped out.

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Bad / Attack

verb

trounce - Defeat heavily in a contest

In the recent French election, eventual winner Macron trounced his opponent by a 2-1 margin.

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Other / Inward

verb

fend - Look after and provide for oneself, without any help from others

Martha wanted to teach her kids how to cook, so she let them fend for themselves in the kitchen.

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Bad / Small

verb

dwindle - Diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength

The dodo bird population dwindled over time before finally going extinct.

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Other / Other

verb

whittle - Carve (wood) into an object by repeatedly cutting small slices from it

With nothing but free time, Elmore spent hours whittling a large piece of wood into a smaller piece.

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Other / Move

verb

pluck - Take hold of something and quickly remove it from its place

In Ralph Waldo Emerson's beautiful poem Forbearance, he suggests that it is good to appreciate a beautiful flower without plucking it from the ground.