by Damon Suede
BREAK (/): bankrupt, beggar, bleed, break, bust, cannibalize, confound, consume, cow, cripple, crush, degrade, demoralize, demote, deplete, depredate, destroy, disprove, disqualify, doom, downgrade, drain, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, humiliate, impair, impoverish, incapacitate, outlast, overcome, pauperize, rebut, reduce, refute, ruin, shatter, squander, subdue, tame, torpedo, undermine, waste, weaken (≠ augment, bolster, boost, budget, conserve, develop, elevate, energize, enhance, enrich, foster, improve, inspire, maintain, optimize, squirrel, stow, strengthen, support, sustain, upgrade)
BREW (+): abet, activate, advance, boil, concoct, contrive, cook, cultivate, detonate, devise, encourage, energize, enliven, excite, ferment, fire, foment, forward, foster, further, galvanize, hatch, improvise, incite, inflame, infuse, inspire, instigate, invigorate, machinate, make, manipulate, motivate, nourish, nurture, pick, plan, plot, prepare, project, promote, provoke, quicken, rabble-rouse, raise, ready, rouse, scheme, set, soak, sow, steep, stew, stimulate, stir, trigger, vitalize (≠ abate, allay, bridle, calm, check, constrain, curb, discourage, hold, hush, inhibit, lull, mellow, mollify, quiet, regulate, restrain, settle, soothe, still, stymie, subdue, tame, tranquilize)
BRIBE (←): allure, approach, bait, beguile, betray, bewitch, buy, candy-coat, captivate, catch, charm, coax, convince, corrupt, decoy, dulcify, enchant, enmesh, ensnare, entice, entrap, fascinate, fix, flatter, grease, hamper, honey, induce, influence, ingratiate, instigate, inveigle, lubricate, lure, magnetize, motivate, nobble, oil, outlay, overpay, patronize, pay, persuade, pervert, recompense, reward, rope, seduce, snare, snow, soap, solicit, spur, square, suborn, subvert, sugar, sugarcoat, sweeten, syrup, tangle, tantalize, tempt, tip, trap (≠ alert, blackmail, bully, caution, coerce, demand, embezzle, expose, extort, extract, forewarn, milk, muscle, railroad, -refuse, repulse, sandbag, squeeze, ward, warn)
BRIDGE (+): affix, associate, attach, bestride, bind, broker, clamp, combine, compare, connect, correlate, couple, cross, fasten, fill, ford, fuse, hybridize, interlink, join, link, marry, navigate, negotiate, reach, relate, reunite, secure, span, straddle, synthesize, tie, traverse, unite, yoke (≠ alienate, breach, cleave, contrast, detach, disaffect, disconnect, disjoin, disunite, divide, -exclude, isolate, juxtapose, leave, maroon, -ostracize, oust, seclude, separate, sever, split, strand, sunder, unfasten, widen)
BRIDLE (←): arrest, break, check, conquer, constrain, contain, control, corral, curb, domesticate, dominate, govern, -halt, harness, hold, inhibit, leash, master, moderate, muzzle, overpower, repress, restrain, rule, snaffle, staunch, stem, stop, subdue, suppress, train, withhold (≠ air, arouse, -avoid, circulate, discharge, disseminate, emancipate, evince, express, free, -ignore, incite, liberate, loose, lose, -neglect, provoke, release, rouse, spur, unchain, unleash, verbalize, vocalize)
BRIEF (+): abridge, admonish, advertise, advise, advocate, announce, apprise, assert, broadcast, caution, clue, communicate, confess, consult, contextualize, counsel, cue, declare, direct, disclose, disseminate, divulge, edify, enlighten, epitomize, exhibit, explain, express, guide, inform, initiate, instruct, notify, orient, prepare, prime, proclaim, recapitulate, recommend, reveal, suggest, summarize, testify, uncloak, update, warn (≠ bury, conceal, confuse, deceive, disorient, edit, forget, grill, harbor, hide, interrogate, mislead, misrepresent, muddle, obscure, perplex, puzzle, question, redact, withhold)
BRIGHTEN (+): animate, boost, buoy, burnish, cheer, clear, console, elate, elevate, encourage, enhance, enliven, excite, exhilarate, gladden, hearten, ignite, illuminate, illumine, improve, inspire, intensify, invigorate, kindle, light, lighten, optimize, overhaul, please, polish, raise, rectify, refine, refurbish, revitalize, rouse, shine, stimulate, uplift (≠ blacken, bore, complicate, darken, deepen, demotivate, depress, dim, discourage, dishearten, dissuade, dull, enervate, fade, -frustrate, shadow, stymie, tarnish, upset, weary, worsen)
BRING (→): accompany, attend, bear, bootleg, buck, carry, cart, chauffeur, conduct, convey, convoy, courier, deliver, dispatch, distribute, drive, drop, escort, ferry, fetch, give, guide, hand, hand-carry, haul, heel, help, lead, lug, move, pack, pass, piggyback, pilot, remit, ride, schlep, send, shepherd, shoulder, show, shuttle, smuggle, steer, supply, take, tote, tour, transport, trek, truck, usher, waft, whisk (≠ -abandon, clutch, covet, demand, -desert, -ditch, drop, dump, forget, -forsake, grab, guard, hoard, hog, hold, -ignore, keep, leave, lose, maroon, meet, monopolize, -neglect, -refuse, request, retain, seize, -shirk, -shun, skip, stash, stay, stint, take, withhold)
BRING (+): advance, beget, begin, breed, catalyze, create, cultivate, decide, determine, develop, draw, educe, effect, effectuate, elicit, enact, encourage, engender, establish, extract, father, force, forward, foster, found, further, generate, inaugurate, induce, initiate, innovate, inspire, institute, introduce, invoke, launch, make, nourish, nurture, obtain, pioneer, produce, promote, prompt, provoke, render, set, spawn, start, work, yield (≠ abolish, arrest, check, control, crush, curb, dampen, demolish, -deny, destroy, doom, eradicate, erase, extinguish, hamper, hinder, impede, inhibit, kill, limit, liquidate, -prevent, -prohibit, quash, quell, quench, repress, restrain, restrict, retard, smother, snuff, squash, squelch, stifle, still, subdue, suppress, -thwart, weed)
BROACH (→): advance, air, allege, approach, cite, debate, discuss, express, interject, interrupt, introduce, mention, name, offer, place, propose, raise, spitball, submit, suggest, vent, ventilate, verbalize, vocalize, volunteer (≠ ban, bar, censor, drown, hush, -prohibit, quiet, redact, silence, stifle, submerge, suppress, -veto)
BROACH (→): begin, break, bulldoze, burst, bust, clear, crack, decant, effuse, expose, force, jimmy, open, penetrate, perforate, pierce, pop, pour, prize, puncture, release, reveal, rupture, slit, split, start, tap, unblock, uncork, uncover, unfasten, unlock, unseal, ventilate (≠ bar, barricade, block, bolt, bung, button, cap, cinch, clasp, clench, close, contain, cordon, cork, cover, deadbolt, drop, drown, fasten, jam, latch, lock, pack, plug, ram, seal, secure, shut, stem, stopper, stopple, submerge, zip)
BROADCAST (→): advertise, air, announce, assert, beam, blab, blare, blazon, blurt, brief, bulletin, circulate, communicate, confess, confirm, declare, diffuse, disclose, disseminate, distribute, divulge, evince, exhibit, express, hype, limelight, plug, post, presell, proclaim, promote, promulgate, propagandize, publicize, publish, radiate, relay, report, reveal, rumor, scatter, show, showcase, sow, spread, strew, televise, testify, transmit, troll, uncloak, unmask (≠ bury, -bypass, camouflage, cloak, conceal, -disregard, gather, harbor, hide, hush, keep, limit, mask, obscure, -omit, recant, receive, restrict, retract, revoke, secrete, shroud, silence, skip, stifle, suppress, veil, withhold)
BROKER (+): adjudicate, arbitrate, argue, arrange, bootleg, brew, buy, clinch, cold-call, complete, concert, conclude, concoct, conduct, contract, contrive, deal, debate, direct, discuss, engineer, execute, finagle, finesse, frame, handle, hatch, hawk, horse-trade, import, lobby, machinate, manage, maneuver, manipulate, mastermind, mediate, negotiate, organize, peddle, presell, purchase, reason, referee, renegotiate, settle, stipulate, swap, talk, trade, wangle (≠ -abandon, blow, bobble, botch, bungle, butcher, -ditch, dump, flub, fumble, hamper, hinder, impede, mangle, mishandle, muff, -refuse, -reject, short-circuit)
BROWBEAT (→): affright, alarm, badger, blackjack, bludgeon, bluff, brutalize, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, castigate, coerce, compel, constrain, cow, daunt, demand, demoralize, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distress, disturb, domineer, dragoon, earbash, force, frighten, harass, hector, henpeck, horrify, hound, intimidate, make, menace, muscle, nag, nobble, oblige, oppress, perturb, pester, press, pressure, push, railroad, sandbag, savage, scare, shock, spook, startle, steamroller, strong-arm, terrify, terrorize, threaten, trash-talk, tyrannize, unman, unnerve, upset (≠ blandish, boost, bribe, butter, cajole, cheer, coax, comfort, compliment, congratulate, console, convince, embolden, encourage, flannel, flatter, glorify, gratify, hearten, ingratiate, inspire, persuade, praise, prioritize, reassure, solace, soothe, steel, subvert, sway, swe
et-talk)
BRUISE (/): abrade, batter, beat, black, blacken, blemish, club, crush, damage, deface, dent, ding, discolor, graze, grieve, harm, hit, hurt, injure, insult, mar, mark, offend, overset, pound, pulverize, scrape, scratch, spoil, stun, upset, welt, wound, zing (≠ bandage, calm, coddle, cradle, defend, doctor, guard, heal, help, medicate, mend, nurse, nurture, pacify, protect, repair, salve, shield, treat)
BRUSH (→): adjust, arrange, array, beautify, buff, burnish, clean, comb, curry, dandify, dress, fix, flick, glamorize, groom, gussy, improve, manicure, neaten, optimize, paint, polish, pomade, preen, prep, prepare, prettify, pretty, primp, ready, refine, shine, sleek, slick, smarten, smooth, spiff, spruce, sweep, tidy, titivate, wash, whisk, wipe (≠ bedraggle, besmirch, callous, coarsen, contaminate, dirty, dishevel, disorganize, draggle, harm, harshen, jumble, kink, knot, mar, mess, muss, -neglect, ruffle, scalp, soil, spoil, sully, tangle, tarnish, untidy)
BRUSH (→): brush, bump, caress, contact, cuddle, feel, finger, flick, fondle, graze, handle, hit, hold, kiss, love, nudge, osculate, pat, pet, rub, scrape, scuff, shave, sideswipe, skim, skirt, smooth, strike, stroke, strum, sweep, swipe, tap, tickle, touch, trace (≠ abrade, -avoid, bang, bash, bump, chafe, clash, crash, crush, cut, deflect, -dodge, grab, grasp, grip, hit, impact, impale, irritate, knock, miss, parry, punch, ram, -sidestep, slam, slap, slice, smack, smash, squeeze, strike, thud, thwack, whack, wound)
BRUTALIZE (/): abuse, anguish, assault, attack, batter, beat, bulldoze, bully, burn, butcher, club, cripple, crucify, disfigure, eviscerate, excruciate, flog, gore, gut, harass, harm, hit, hurt, ill-treat, injure, intimidate, lacerate, lynch, maim, maltreat, mangle, manhandle, martyr, menace, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, mutilate, oppress, orphan, outrage, persecute, pound, ruin, sandbag, savage, scalp, scar, thrash, threaten, torment, torture, tyrannize, victimize, violate, wrong (≠ armor, baby, cherish, coddle, defend, favor, foster, grace, gratify, guard, heal, humor, indulge, infantilize, mollycoddle, nurse, nurture, pamper, pity, protect, regret, repent, rue, shield, spoil, support)
BRUTALIZE (/): abase, animalize, contaminate, corrupt, deaden, debauch, degrade, dehumanize, demean, depersonalize, deprave, desensitize, disgrace, harden, humble, humiliate, inure, objectify, pervert, poison, pollute, pressure, profane, prostitute, subvert, taint, warp (≠ amend, cleanse, dignify, elevate, ennoble, exalt, honor, humanize, improve, nurture, purify, respect, restore, sensitize, uplift)
BUCK (→): baffle, -balk, battle, challenge, check, combat, confront, contest, contradict, counter, counteract, dare, debate, defy, discredit, dislodge, disobey, -disown, disprove, dispute, -disregard, duel, fight, flout, foil, -frustrate, hinder, -ignore, jerk, jump, leap, monkey-wrench, obstruct, oppose, repel, resist, rile, roil, stem, subvert, taunt, throw, -thwart, trip, unseat, withstand (≠ accept, allow, back, concede, embrace, follow, heed, maintain, mind, obey, observe, permit, respect, second, settle, steady, submit, support, surrender)
BUCKLE (+): affix, anchor, attach, batten, belt, bind, bolt, bond, brace, button, catch, chain, clamp, clasp, clinch, clip, close, connect, corset, couple, fasten, fix, grapple, grip, hitch, hogtie, hold, hook, implant, jam, join, knit, knot, lace, lash, latch, leash, link, lock, lodge, pin, rivet, rope, screw, seal, secure, set, settle, shut, solder, stick, strengthen, string, tack, tag, tether, tie, tighten, truss, unite, wedge, weld, zip (≠ crack, detach, disconnect, disengage, displace, divide, extract, free, leave, liberate, loose, loosen, lose, open, part, prize, pry, pull, relax, release, remove, rest, separate, sever, slack, slacken, slice, sunder, tear, unbuckle, unbutton, unchain, undress, unfasten, unhitch, unhook, unlace, unlink, unlock, unrestrict, unseal, untie, unwrap, unzip, uproot, wrest, yank)
BUCKLE (/): bend, break, bulge, collapse, compress, compromise, contort, corrugate, crease, crumple, crush, distort, endanger, fold, jeopardize, mangle, mutate, ripple, slacken, smash, twist, undermine, unsmooth, warp, weaken, wiggle, wriggle, wrinkle, yield (≠ align, bear, bolster, brace, endure, flatten, iron, level, plane, press, resist, roll, smooth, steady, straighten, uncrumple, unfold, weather, withstand)
BUDGET (←): afford, allocate, allot, allow, apportion, assign, calculate, chunk, conserve, cut, deal, dispense, distribute, divide, drizzle, earmark, economize, estimate, give, measure, mete, moderate, parcel, partition, plan, portion, ration, save, scant, schedule, scrape, scrimp, segment, set, share, skimp, slice, split, stint, sustain, time, trickle, withhold (≠ circulate, confuse, disburse, dissipate, exceed, expend, fritter, gamble, lavish, muddle, overcommit, risk, spend, squander, surpass, waste)
BUFF (→): brighten, brush, burnish, dress, finish, furbish, glaze, gloss, grind, hone, polish, pumice, rub, sand, sandpaper, scour, scrub, shine, smooth (≠ abrade, callous, chafe, coarsen, damage, harshen, roughen, score, scuff, sully, tarnish)
BUFFALO (←): baffle, bamboozle, beguile, bemuse, betray, bilk, bleed, bluff, bullshit, burn, catch, cheat, chisel, con, confound, confuse, convince, cozen, daze, deceive, defraud, delude, diddle, disconcert, disorient, dupe, fake, faze, fleece, floor, flummox, fool, gammon, gaslight, gull, hoax, hocus-pocus, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, hustle, josh, juggle, kid, manipulate, misguide, misinform, mislead, mix, muddle, mystify, nonplus, outwit, overawe, perplex, pretend, puzzle, rephrase, rook, schmooze, shortchange, skin, snooker, snow, spoof, squeeze, stump, stupefy, sucker, swindle, tease, trick, underpay, wrong (≠ assure, believe, bolster, calm, clarify, confess, confide, confirm, confront, debunk, disabuse, disclose, disenchant, disillusion, divulge, educate, enlighten, explain, expose, face, help, illustrate, misunderstand, protect, reassure, relieve, reveal, settle, show, stabilize, steady, trust, uncloak, uncover, undeceive, unmask, unveil)
BUFFER (+): absorb, allay, alleviate, armor, assuage, baby, baffle, blunt, cocoon, coddle, cordon, cushion, dampen, deaden, defend, diminish, dull, ease, fill, gentle, guard, insulate, isolate, lessen, lighten, line, lubricate, mitigate, moderate, modulate, overprotect, pack, pad, protect, reduce, relieve, seclude, shield, soften, soundproof, stuff, suppress, sustain, temper, upholster, wad, weaken, wrap (≠ attack, compromise, endanger, exacerbate, expose, harass, heighten, imperil, intensify, jeopardize, risk, sharpen, strip, threaten)
BUG (→): abrade, affront, aggravate, agitate, anger, annoy, antagonize, badger, bait, blister, bother, buttonhole, chafe, chaff, devil, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, earbash, eat, enrage, exasperate, exercise, freak, fret, frost, gall, get, grate, hagride, harass, harry, hassle, heckle, incense, infuriate, insult, irk, irritate, madden, miff, nag, needle, nettle, niggle, nitpick, noodge, offend, outrage, overset, peeve, persecute, perturb, pester, pique, plague, provoke, rankle, rasp, rile, roil, rouse, ruffle, spite, tease, troll, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, vex, worry (≠ alleviate, appease, assure, calm, candy-coat, cheer, comfort, conciliate, console, content, delight, disarm, -disregard, ease, encourage, engage, entertain, forget, gladden, gratify, hearten, hush, -ignore, leave, lull, mellow, mitigate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, please, propitiate, quiet, reassure, satisfy, -slight, solace, soothe, sugarcoat, thrill, tranquilize, welcome, wow)
BUG (←): attend, case, cover, discover, espy, examine, eye, eyeball, glimpse, hear, heed, mind, monitor, note, notice, observe, overhear, recon, reconnoiter, regard, scout, scrutinize, sight, spy, surveil, tap, trace, view, watch, wire, wiretap, witness (≠ -bypass, -disregard, expose, forget, -ignore, leave, miss, mistake, -neglect, -omit, skip, -slight)
BUILD (+): assemble, automate, begin, carpenter, cast, coin, combine, compile, compose, conceive, concoct, configure, constitute, construct, contrive, cook, craft, create, design, devise, engineer, erect, establish, evolve, fabricate, fashion, father, forge, form, found, frame, generate, hammer, handcraft, imagine, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, invent, jerry-build, jerry-rig, machine, make, manufacture, mechanize, model, mold, motorize, organize, originate, piece, prefabricate, produce, pyramid, raise, rear, reassemble, rebuild, reconstruct, redevelop, retrofit, rig, sculpt, shape, stitch, suture, synthesize, unite (≠ atomize, bull
doze, deep-six, demolish, destroy, detach, detonate, devastate, disassemble, disconnect, disjoin, dismantle, dismember, dissolve, disunite, divide, doom, eradicate, explode, fell, flatten, fracture, level, obliterate, pulverize, raze, reshape, restructure, ruin, sabotage, scotch, scupper, scuttle, separate, shatter, shelve, smash, strike, tear, terminate, topple, undermine, wreck)
BULLDOZE (/): abolish, annihilate, atomize, bore, clear, crash, crush, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, disintegrate, dismantle, drive, elbow, eradicate, exterminate, flatten, floor, force, jam, jostle, level, muscle, obliterate, press, pressure, propel, pulverize, push, ram, raze, scupper, shoulder, shove, smash, squash, squeeze, thrust, topple, vaporize, wreck (≠ assemble, build, construct, craft, defy, -deny, ease, erect, erode, maintain, preserve, raise, repair, resist, restore, sabotage, secure, sideswipe, subvert, survive, sustain, undermine, withstand)
BULLDOZE (/): admonish, badger, blackjack, bludgeon, bluff, bogart, browbeat, brutalize, bully, bullyrag, coerce, command, compel, constrain, control, cow, daunt, decree, demand, dictate, dragoon, drive, foment, force, forebode, frighten, harass, hector, hound, impel, intimidate, make, mandate, menace, muscle, nag, oblige, order, press, pressure, push, railroad, sandbag, savage, scare, steamroller, strong-arm, terrorize, threaten, torment, trample, trash-talk, unman, unnerve, victimize, warn, wrong (≠ aid, allow, assist, beg, blandish, butter, cajole, cheer, coax, comfort, console, convince, embolden, encourage, grease, help, honor, induce, nurture, obey, permit, persuade, petition, protect, reassure, remedy, respect, soft-sell, soft-soap, solace, soothe, steel, subvert, support, sweet-talk, wheedle)