Activate

by Damon Suede

  LUBRICATE (+): accelerate, advance, anoint, assist, bathe, butter, cream, douse, drench, ease, encourage, expedite, facilitate, forward, further, grease, help, lard, lube, make, marinate, moisturize, oil, promote, quicken, slick, smear, smooth, soak, souse, speed, wash, water, wax, wet (≠ abrade, callous, chafe, coarsen, dehydrate, desiccate, dry, exfoliate, harden, harshen, hinder, parch, roughen, rub, scratch)

  LUG (←): bear, bring, buck, carry, cart, chauffeur, convey, deliver, drag, draw, ferry, fetch, forward, haul, heave, hump, jerk, lift, move, pack, pull, rake, remove, schlep, send, shift, ship, shuttle, smuggle, take, tote, tow, transfer, transmit, transport, trawl, tug, yank (≠ -abandon, drive, drop, -forsake, hold, hurl, jettison, keep, lose, offload, plonk, propel, punt, push, ram, -refuse, repel, shove, thrust, wing)

  LULL (←): abate, allay, alleviate, ameliorate, appease, assuage, butter, calm, comfort, compose, conciliate, cool, cradle, crush, defuse, demilitarize, dulcify, ease, help, humor, hush, lay, mellow, mitigate, moderate, mollify, narcotize, pacify, placate, propitiate, quell, quiet, quieten, reconcile, relax, relieve, salve, satisfy, sedate, settle, silence, smooth, soften, soft-pedal, solace, soothe, still, stupefy, subdue, sweeten, tame, temper, tranquilize (≠ aggravate, agitate, annoy, arouse, bother, discompose, disquiet, disturb, earbash, enrage, excite, foment, heckle, incite, infuriate, instigate, irritate, militarize, nag, needle, nettle, niggle, nitpick, perturb, rabble-rouse, rouse, stir, terrify, unnerve, upset, vex)

  LUMBER (→): afflict, burden, charge, clog, clutter, constipate, encumber, fill, foist, freight, hamper, handicap, heap, impede, impose, land, load, mound, oppress, overburden, overextend, overload, overtax, pack, pile, press, saddle, stack, strain, surcharge, tax, weigh, weight (≠ allay, alleviate, assuage, comfort, discharge, disencumber, disperse, ease, lessen, lift, lighten, mitigate, relieve, unburden, unload)

  LURE (←): allure, attract, bag, bait, beckon, bed, beguile, betray, bewitch, bribe, cajole, call, captivate, capture, catch, charm, convince, decoy, drag, draw, enchant, enmesh, ensnare, entice, fascinate, grab, haul, hook, induce, inveigle, invite, magnetize, persuade, pull, rope, schmooze, seduce, snare, solicit, steer, tangle, tantalize, tease, tempt, train, trap, trigger, urge (≠ alert, antagonize, ban, banish, block, caution, demotivate, -deter, discourage, disenchant, disgust, dissuade, divert, -evade, hamper, hinder, nobble, repel, repulse, -shun, stymie, -thwart, ward, warn)

  LYNCH (/): asphyxiate, assassinate, assault, attack, butcher, crucify, demonize, dispatch, eliminate, execute, exterminate, hang, hunt, ice, kill, martyr, massacre, murder, orphan, persecute, pillory, punish, purge, remove, sacrifice, slaughter, slay, smite, smother, snuff, stifle, stigmatize, strangle, suffocate, throttle, torment, torture, tyrannize, victimize (≠ acquit, aerate, aid, alibi, assist, bear, create, defend, excuse, exonerate, guard, harbor, heal, liberate, nourish, nurture, oxygenate, pardon, protect, rescue, save, shelter, shield, spare, ventilate, vindicate)

  M

  MAGNIFY (→): accelerate, accent, accentuate, accrue, add, aggravate, amp, amplify, assert, augment, belabor, boost, broaden, build, consolidate, deepen, develop, elaborate, emphasize, enforce, enhance, enlarge, enliven, exacerbate, exaggerate, expand, extend, fill, flavor, hasten, heighten, heroicize, heroize, honor, idealize, idolize, increase, inflame, inflate, intensify, lengthen, maximize, optimize, overdramatize, overemphasize, overhaul, oversell, pad, poeticize, prioritize, provoke, punctuate, pyramid, quicken, raise, redouble, reinforce, revolutionize, richen, rile, romanticize, season, sentimentalize, sharpen, spice, strengthen, stress, stretch, supplement, swell, unspool, up, widen (≠ abate, abridge, alleviate, blunt, buffer, compress, concentrate, condense, curtail, decrease, diminish, ease, lessen, lighten, miniaturize, minimize, mitigate, moderate, précis, reduce, shorten, shrink, subdue, summarize, taper, underemphasize, weaken)

  MAIM (/): bang, bash, batter, beat, belt, bloody, bludgeon, box, break, bruise, buffet, castrate, club, cripple, crucify, crush, damage, deball, deform, disable, disfigure, dismember, drub, emasculate, flog, gore, hack, hammer, hamstring, harm, hit, hobble, hogtie, hurt, impair, incapacitate, injure, kill, kneecap, lace, lacerate, lambaste, lame, lash, lick, mangle, mar, maul, murder, mutilate, paralyze, paste, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch, razor, scar, slap, slash, slice, smack, smash, sock, spank, spoil, swat, swipe, thrash, thump, thwack, torment, torture, wallop, whack, whip, wing, wound (≠ aid, alleviate, armor, bandage, bind, block, brace, cure, defend, doctor, dress, fix, guard, heal, help, maintain, mend, nurse, patch, preserve, protect, recondition, rehabilitate, rejuvenate, remedy, renovate, repair, rescue, restore, save, secure, sew, shield, splint, stitch, support, sustain, suture, tend, treat)

  MAINTAIN (→): advocate, affirm, allege, announce, argue, assert, attest, avow, await, believe, broadcast, champion, claim, colonize, confirm, contend, debate, declare, defend, espouse, hold, insist, justify, perpetuate, plead, proclaim, profess, promise, protest, purport, rationalize, reaffirm, reason, state, support, swear, telegraph, testify, uphold, vindicate, warrant (≠ -abandon, challenge, consult, contradict, counter, cross-examine, debate, -deny, disavow, disclaim, discredit, -disown, disprove, dispute, distrust, doubt, -forsake, gainsay, grill, interrogate, -negate, question, rebut, recant, refute, -reject, -renounce, -repudiate, retract, scruple, suspect, withdraw) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!

  MAINTAIN (+): armor, bronze, budget, conserve, cure, defend, embalm, fix, guard, heal, husband, keep, manage, mend, patch, patrol, pickle, preserve, protect, rebuild, reconstruct, recover, recycle, rehabilitate, rejuvenate, remedy, repair, rescue, restore, safeguard, salvage, save, screen, service, shield, support, sustain (≠ boobytrap, break, conclude, damage, destroy, -disregard, doom, eradicate, erase, harm, hurt, -ignore, impair, injure, monkey-wrench, -neglect, ruin, sabotage, scotch, scupper, scuttle, shelve, subvert, terminate, undermine, vandalize, weed, wreck)

  MAINTAIN (+): aid, assist, bankroll, contribute, feed, finance, fuel, fund, harbor, house, keep, nourish, nurture, patronize, provide, room, shelter, sponsor, stake, supply, support, sustain, underwrite, victual (≠ banish, bleed, cheat, defund, -deny, -disown, famish, malnourish, -neglect, -rebuff, -reject, -repudiate, reserve, starve, suppress, underfeed, withhold)

  MAKE (→): badger, blackjack, blackmail, bluff, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, coerce, compel, constrain, cow, drag, dragoon, drive, force, harass, hector, hound, impel, impress, intimidate, menace, muscle, obligate, oblige, overcommit, press, pressure, railroad, require, sandbag, shame, steamroller, strong-arm, terrorize, threaten, urge (≠ allow, argue, bribe, cajole, coax, convince, entice, follow, induce, let, lubricate, midwife, move, obey, pay, permit, persuade, satisfy, schmooze, serve)

  MAKE (→): advance, begin, brainstorm, breed, bring, catalyze, create, cultivate, decide, determine, develop, effect, effectuate, enact, encourage, engender, establish, father, forward, foster, found, further, generate, hatch, inaugurate, induce, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, invoke, launch, midwife, nourish, nurture, pioneer, produce, promote, prompt, render, set, sire, spawn, start, whelp, work, yield (≠ abolish, check, control, crush, curb, dampen, demolish, destroy, erase, exterminate, extinguish, impede, inhibit, liquidate, quash, quell, quench, restrain, restrict, retard, smother, squash, squelch, squench, stifle, subdue, suppress, terminate)

  MAKE (←): accomplish, accumulate, achieve, acquire, actualize, amass, annex, attain, bag, bring, capture, carry, catch, claim, clear, crest, draw, earn, gain, garner, get, gross, land, net, notch, obtain, occupy, procure, pull, realize, reap, score, secure, win (≠ accord, bequeath, bestow, forfeit, give, grant, lose, pay, relinquish, spend, squander, stiff, surrender, undershoot, waste, withhold, yield)

  MAKE (+): arrange, assemble, brainstorm, brew, build, compose, conceive, concoct, configure, construct, contrive, cook, craft, create, design, devise, envisage, erect, establish, fabricate, fashion, father, fix, forge, form, formulate, frame, generate, handcraft, hatch, hew, imagine, improv, improvise, institute, invent, machine, manufacture, mass-p
roduce, mint, model, mold, organize, originate, patent, picture, prepare, produce, raise, ready, rear, refashion, sculpt, serve, sew, shape, sire, stitch, structure, visualize, weave, write (≠ atomize, break, canker, corrode, corrupt, crack, crumple, demolish, destroy, disassemble, dismantle, dissolve, doom, explode, flatten, fracture, fragment, pulverize, raze, repair, restore, ruin, shatter, shred, smash, splinter, tatter, tear, topple, wreck)

  MALIGN (/): abase, abuse, accuse, antagonize, attack, attaint, badmouth, bait, belittle, besmirch, bestialize, blacken, blame, blast, calumniate, curse, debase, decry, defame, defile, degrade, denigrate, deride, dirty, discredit, -disdain, disfavor, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, disrespect, envenom, harm, humble, humiliate, impugn, injure, insult, libel, misrepresent, muckrake, pollute, revile, roast, scandalize, -scorn, shame, slam, slander, slate, slur, smear, soil, spatter, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, traduce, trash, vilify, villainize, vituperate, wrong (≠ admire, adore, advantage, applaud, benefit, cherish, commend, congratulate, esteem, eulogize, exalt, extol, favor, glorify, gold-star, gratify, high-five, honor, ingratiate, praise, protect, respect, revere, romanticize, salute, sentimentalize, shield, venerate, vindicate, worship)

  MANAGE (→): administer, advocate, boss, captain, chair, chaperone, command, conduct, control, counsel, designate, direct, disburse, dominate, govern, guard, guide, handle, head, inspect, instruct, keep, lead, maintain, micromanage, mind, monitor, navigate, negotiate, observe, operate, organize, oversee, pace, pilot, police, protect, referee, regiment, regulate, rule, run, safeguard, spearhead, stage-manage, steer, steward, superintend, supervise, survey, tend, train, watch (≠ abdicate, bobble, bomb, botch, bugger, bungle, collapse, debate, -deny, fake, flub, flunk, follow, fudge, fumble, goof, half-ass, louse, mess, mishandle, misjudge, mismanage, misrule, mistake, muff, -neglect, obey, overestimate, -overlook, -refuse, -shirk, skip, subvert, underestimate)

  MANAGE (→): choreograph, conduct, control, direct, employ, exert, guide, handle, influence, keep, maneuver, manipulate, master, operate, orchestrate, order, organize, pace, play, regulate, request, steer, time, use, wield, work (≠ addle, baffle, botch, bungle, confuse, crash, destroy, discard, disorder, doom, flub, flunk, fumble, permit, release, ruin, scramble, wreck)

  MANAGE (+): accomplish, achieve, address, arbitrate, arrange, automate, broker, command, control, doctor, engineer, execute, field, finagle, finesse, fix, game, grapple, guide, hack, handle, jockey, maneuver, manipulate, mechanize, micromanage, negotiate, pace, plant, play, pull, regulate, renegotiate, rig, run, scam, steer, swing, take, transact, treat, upstage, wangle, work (≠ -abandon, bobble, bomb, botch, bugger, bungle, doom, fake, flub, flunk, foozle, forfeit, -forsake, fudge, fumble, half-ass, lose, louse, mess, mishandle, miss, muff, -neglect, -overlook, -refuse, scamp, -shirk, skimp, skip, subvert)

  MANEUVER (→): aid, assist, benefit, berth, broker, chart, conduct, contrive, control, devise, direct, dock, drive, ease, engineer, exercise, finagle, govern, guide, handle, help, jockey, juxtapose, lobby, machinate, man, manage, manipulate, move, navigate, negotiate, outsmart, outthink, outwit, pilot, plan, plot, position, rescue, restore, rule, salvage, save, scheme, script, steer, transact, turn, wangle (≠ blow, bobble, botch, bungle, crash, damage, -discount, drop, fail, flub, foozle, fumble, half-ass, harm, miscalculate, mishandle, misjudge, mismanage, miss, muff, -neglect, quit, seek, smash, stop)

  MANGLE (/): batter, behead, break, bruise, brutalize, butcher, carve, club, contort, cripple, crush, cut, damage, decapitate, deface, deform, destroy, disembowel, disfigure, distort, efface, eviscerate, flay, gash, gnarl, gore, gut, hack, harm, hash, impair, injure, joint, knife, lacerate, lop, maim, mar, maul, mutilate, razor, rend, rip, ruin, savage, scalp, separate, sever, shear, slash, slay, slice, slit, split, spoil, sunder, tear, truncate, twist, wound, wreck (≠ aid, alleviate, armor, assist, beautify, benefit, build, construct, cure, doctor, embalm, enhance, fix, guard, heal, help, improve, join, mend, patch, preserve, protect, rectify, refine, remedy, repair, restore, reunite, revive, secure, sew, shield, solder, splint, stitch, sustain, unite, weld)

  MANGLE (/): bend, blemish, blight, blow, bobble, boggle, boot, botch, bugger, bungle, butcher, contort, corrupt, crook, damage, deform, destroy, disfigure, distort, doom, flaw, flub, fluff, flunk, foozle, foul, fumble, harm, hurt, impair, injure, louse, mar, mishandle, mismanage, muddle, muff, murder, mutilate, pervert, ruin, spoil, vitiate, wreck (≠ aid, alleviate, ameliorate, assist, better, correct, doctor, enhance, fix, help, improve, maintain, patch, preserve, protect, recondition, rectify, refine, reform, remedy, renovate, repair, rescue, revamp, save, sustain, tune)

  MANHANDLE (→): abuse, ambush, assail, attack, backhand, bash, batter, beat, brutalize, buffet, bulldoze, clobber, clout, club, drub, fight, harm, hit, hurt, ill-treat, injure, jostle, jump, knock, lambaste, lick, maltreat, mangle, maul, menace, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, muscle, oppress, persecute, pommel, pound, pummel, push, railroad, savage, shove, slap, steamroller, thrash, threaten, torment, torture, victimize, wound, wrestle, wrong (≠ appease, baby, caress, coddle, cotton, cuddle, delight, entertain, fondle, foster, guard, humor, indulge, maintain, mollycoddle, nurse, nurture, oblige, overprotect, pacify, pamper, pet, placate, please, protect, riffle, satisfy, soothe, spoil, spoon-feed, stroke, strum, tickle, touch)

  MANHANDLE (←): carry, convey, drag, draw, drive, ferry, haul, heave, hump, jerk, lug, move, propel, pull, push, ram, schlep, shove, thrust, tow, transport, tug, yank (≠ -abandon, cherish, defend, drop, -forsake, guard, lose, miss, plonk, protect, save, secure, treasure)

  MANIFEST (→): advertise, air, announce, attest, bare, bellow, betray, blaze, broadcast, communicate, confess, confirm, declare, demonstrate, disclose, display, establish, evince, exhibit, expose, express, flash, illustrate, mark, out, parade, placard, present, proclaim, project, prove, publicize, reveal, show, showcase, sport, telegraph, trumpet, uncloak, uncover, verbalize, vocalize, voice (≠ belie, bleep, camouflage, cloak, clothe, cloud, conceal, costume, counterfeit, cover, disguise, distort, embellish, embroider, falsify, garble, gild, gloss, hide, mask, misrepresent, obscure, occlude, spackle, twist, varnish, veil, whitewash)

  MANIFEST (→): actualize, concretize, conjure, embody, epitomize, exemplify, express, exteriorize, externalize, illustrate, image, incarnate, incorporate, instance, materialize, objectify, personalize, personify, realize, reify, signify, substantiate, typify (≠ annihilate, bury, cloak, conceal, deep-six, -deny, destroy, disembody, dissolve, ensconce, erase, hide, -negate, -nullify, obliterate, veil, withhold) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!

  MANIPULATE (→): arrange, brew, broker, captain, coerce, command, compass, concert, conclude, concoct, conduct, contrive, control, direct, drive, engineer, finagle, finesse, frame, gerrymander, guide, handle, hatch, influence, intrigue, lobby, machinate, manage, maneuver, mastermind, milk, mold, move, navigate, negotiate, operate, plot, position, quarterback, renegotiate, run, scheme, sculpt, shape, situate, steer, supervise, turn, wangle (≠ -abandon, blow, bobble, botch, bungle, butcher, confuse, flub, follow, fumble, half-ass, louse, mangle, mishandle, mismanage, muff, muscle, obey, perplex, puzzle)

  MANIPULATE (→): caress, contact, contour, employ, exert, feel, finger, fondle, form, knead, knuckle, massage, maul, mold, operate, ply, pound, press, pummel, riffle, rolf, rub, shape, squeeze, swing, thumb, touch, unsheathe, use, wield, work (≠ -avoid, cripple, drop, harm, hit, -ignore, injure, -neglect, punch, -shun, withhold)

  MANIPULATE (←): arrange, beguile, bluff, buffalo, bullshit, cheat, chisel, con, contrive, convince, cook, cozen, deceive, defraud, delude, devise, doctor, double-talk, dupe, embellish, embroider, engineer, euchre, exploit, falsify, fiddle, finagle, finesse, fleece, fool, game, gerrymander, gull, gyp, hoax, hocus-pocus, hoodwink, hustle, influence, intrigue, jockey, josh, juggle, kid, machinate, maneuver, massage, mastermind, misrepresent, outwit, persuade, play, plot, rig, rook, scheme, shanghai, shuffle, skin, snooker, snow, sucker, sway, swindle, take, thimblerig, trick, upstage, use (≠ accuse, badmouth,
bulldoze, bungle, challenge, compensate, confess, confide, confirm, confront, defend, defy, -deny, divulge, expose, fumble, help, oppose, protect, railroad, -refuse, resist, respect, restore, steamroll, support)

  MANUFACTURE (←): alter, bootleg, camouflage, copy, counterfeit, disguise, distort, doctor, embellish, embroider, fabricate, fake, falsify, feign, fiddle, forge, generate, imitate, impersonate, manipulate, massage, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, pirate, playact, pretend, reproduce, rig, roleplay, simulate (≠ authenticate, betray, certify, conceal, confess, confirm, corroborate, denounce, detect, divulge, expose, hide, -overlook, prove, reveal, uncover, unmask, validate, verify)