Activate

by Damon Suede

  POCKET (←): appropriate, burglarize, burgle, carjack, filch, gain, grab, grasp, heist, hijack, hook, lift, loot, misappropriate, mooch, nail, nick, nip, pick, pilfer, pillage, pinch, plunder, poach, purloin, rifle, rob, rustle, sack, seize, shoplift, snag, snatch, snitch, sponge, steal, swipe, take, thieve (≠ bestow, buy, comp, confer, contribute, donate, give, grant, impart, offer, present, purchase, spare, supply, tithe, volunteer, will)

  POISON (/): adulterate, afflict, befoul, begrime, besmirch, blacken, contaminate, corrupt, defile, dilute, dirty, doctor, dose, embitter, envenom, foul, grime, infect, mire, muddy, overdose, pollute, rot, sicken, smirch, smudge, soil, sour, spike, spoil, stain, sully, taint (≠ aid, clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, cure, decontaminate, disinfect, distill, doctor, drug, filter, heal, hospitalize, isolate, medicate, nurse, purge, purify, quarantine, rarefy, rectify, refine, sanitize, sterilize)

  POISON (/): abase, alienate, bastardize, befoul, begrime, besmear, besmirch, bestialize, blacken, blemish, blight, blur, cheapen, cloud, contaminate, corrupt, damage, darken, debase, debauch, deface, defile, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, descend, destroy, deteriorate, dilute, dirty, discolor, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, doom, downgrade, flaw, foul, harm, humble, humiliate, hurt, impair, injure, lessen, lower, mar, pervert, pollute, profane, prostitute, ruin, shame, sink, smear, smirch, smudge, soil, spoil, stain, suborn, subvert, sully, taint, tar, tarnish, thin, touch, vitiate, warp, water, weaken, wreck (≠ ameliorate, amend, better, clarify, clean, cleanse, dignify, elevate, enhance, ennoble, enrich, exalt, flavor, honor, improve, moralize, optimize, overhaul, perfect, purify, rarefy, refine, respect, restore, season, spice, uplift)

  POISON (/): allure, beguile, bias, blandish, blarney, brainwash, bribe, cajole, coax, convert, convince, dispose, entreat, exhort, fast-talk, gaslight, incline, induce, influence, lure, move, persuade, predetermine, predispose, prejudge, prejudice, prepossess, prompt, retrain, seduce, sell, snow, suggest, sway, tantalize, tease, tempt, turn, urge, wheedle (≠ counter, demotivate, -deter, discourage, dissuade, hinder, impede, inhibit, -prevent, resist, restrain, unsell)

  POKE (→): annoy, arouse, awaken, badger, bother, bug, butt, clip, contact, crowd, dig, earbash, elbow, goose, harass, hassle, hit, irk, irritate, jab, jostle, nag, needle, nettle, niggle, nitpick, nudge, nuzzle, pester, pick, prick, prod, provoke, punch, push, ram, rouse, shoulder, shove, stab, stick, stimulate, stir, taunt, tease, thrust (≠ -avoid, blandish, block, -bypass, calm, coddle, compliment, -disregard, envelop, -eschew, flatter, gratify, help, humor, -ignore, lull, mellow, mitigate, moderate, mollify, -neglect, outrun, outstrip, -overlook, pacify, placate, praise, pull, shield, -shun, -sidestep, skip, skirt, stabilize, steady)

  POLARIZE (+): align, assemble, blend, center, centralize, coalesce, collect, combine, compact, concentrate, consolidate, coordinate, fuse, gather, harmonize, hybridize, incorporate, integrate, join, link, merge, orchestrate, reduce, reunify, reunite, synthesize, unify, unite (≠ decentralize, deconcentrate, scatter, segregate, separate, split, spread)

  POLARIZE (/): affront, alienate, anger, annoy, antagonize, detach, disaffect, disgruntle, distance, disunite, divide, divorce, enrage, estrange, isolate, needle, nettle, offend, outrage, part, peeve, rile, roil, segregate, separate, split, unnerve, upset (≠ alleviate, assuage, blend, coalesce, combine, fuse, harmonize, hybridize, integrate, join, merge, pacify, placate, reunite, synthesize, unite)

  POLICE (←): check, control, cruise, defend, detect, examine, guard, inspect, investigate, monitor, note, observe, oversee, pace, patrol, pound, probe, proctor, protect, regulate, retrace, safeguard, scan, scour, scout, scrutinize, secure, sentinel, supervise, tour, trace, track, watch (≠ -abandon, aggravate, ambush, attack, blackjack, blackmail, blind, bully, confound, deceive, disguise, exacerbate, -forsake, harm, injure, intimidate, menace, miss, mistake, muddle, mystify, -neglect, -overlook, puzzle, scare, stalk, terrorize, threaten, trick)

  POLISH (→): beeswax, brighten, buff, burnish, clean, coat, dress, face, file, finish, furbish, glaze, gloss, grind, lacquer, oil, pomade, pumice, rasp, rub, sand, sandblast, sandpaper, scour, scrape, scrub, shine, sleek, slick, smooth, varnish, veneer, wax (≠ blemish, coarsen, deface, dent, ding, dirty, dull, harshen, mar, nock, notch, rough, roughen, ruffle, score, scrape, scratch, scuff, sully, tarnish)

  POLISH (+): adapt, ameliorate, amend, beautify, better, civilize, complete, correct, cultivate, enhance, enrich, file, finalize, finish, glamorize, glitter, glitz, improve, mature, mend, optimize, overhaul, perfect, rectify, refine, refurbish, remedy, revolutionize, right, shine, sophisticate, sugarcoat (≠ -abandon, barbarize, bedraggle, bury, conceal, corrupt, damage, deface, -desert, destroy, drop, efface, erase, -forsake, harm, hide, injure, obliterate, obscure, ruffle, ruin, spoil, suborn, sully, taint, upset, worsen, wreck)

  POLL (←): assess, ballot, benchmark, canvass, consult, detect, determine, gauge, grill, interrogate, interview, question, sample, solicit, survey (≠ -disregard, document, elect, estimate, fancy, guess, -ignore, misgauge, miss, -neglect, report, skip, wonder)

  POLLUTE (/): abase, adulterate, alloy, bastardize, befoul, begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blemish, blight, blot, contaminate, corrupt, damage, debase, debauch, defile, degrade, demean, demote, deprave, desecrate, devalue, dilute, diminish, dirty, disgrace, dishonor, doctor, foul, harm, humble, humiliate, infect, injure, insult, libel, lower, malign, mar, mire, mortify, muddy, offend, outrage, poison, profane, reduce, ridicule, rot, ruin, shame, slander, -slight, smear, smirch, smudge, -snub, soil, spike, spoil, stain, suborn, sully, taint, tarnish, trample, violate, water (≠ boost, clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, decontaminate, dignify, disinfect, distill, filter, filtrate, improve, purge, purify, quarantine, rarefy, rectify, refine, remedy, rinse, sanitize, sift, sterilize, strain, upgrade, wash)

  PORTRAY (→): caricature, delineate, depict, describe, diagram, document, doodle, draw, etch, ghostwrite, illustrate, image, limn, map, outline, paint, photograph, pictorialize, picture, render, replicate, represent, show, silhouette, simulate, sketch, trace, visualize (≠ blur, cloak, cloud, conceal, contort, costume, disguise, distort, erase, expunge, fog, hide, mask, muddle, muddy, obfuscate, obliterate, obscure, scramble, screen, smudge, veil)

  PORTRAY (→): characterize, connote, corroborate, define, delineate, demonstrate, depict, describe, detail, display, document, draft, elaborate, elucidate, evince, evoke, exemplify, exhibit, expose, flaunt, hint, illuminate, illustrate, label, narrate, outline, picture, précis, present, profile, qualify, recite, recount, rehearse, relate, render, report, represent, show, showcase, silhouette, sketch, spiel, substantiate, suggest, summarize, take, tell, trace, uncover, unmask, vignette (≠ color, confound, confuse, debunk, disprove, distort, embellish, embroider, falsify, garble, miscommunicate, misdescribe, mishear, misinterpret, mislabel, misread, misrepresent, misstate, perplex, pervert, puzzle, rebut, refute, twist, warp)

  PORTRAY (→): act, adopt, ape, characterize, conjure, depict, dramatize, duplicate, echo, emulate, enact, ghostwrite, imitate, impersonate, interpret, mime, mimic, overplay, pantomime, perform, personify, play, playact, render, represent, roleplay, underplay (≠ coin, confuse, contradict, -deny, disguise, gainsay, invent, obscure, oppose, originate, reverse) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!

  POSITION (→): affix, align, anchor, arrange, array, assemble, berth, carry, clap, clinch, collect, contextualize, deploy, deposit, dispose, ensconce, establish, fix, install, lay, locate, lock, lodge, move, niche, orient, park, place, plank, plant, plonk, plop, plump, plunk, put, queue, rank, rearrange, rejigger, reorder, set, settle, shift, situate, slap, stand, station, stick, wedge (≠ banish, discombobulate, dislodge, displace, invalid, relegate, relocate, remove, replace, ruffle, seclude, shove, shunt, supersede, supplant, take, transfer, vacate)

  POSSESS (→): acquire, claim, colonize, corner, download, get, grab, hog, inhabit, keep, maintain, obtain, occupy, reap, reclaim, recoup, recover, redeem, rescue, reserve, retain, retrieve, salvage, seize, settle, take, tenan
t, withhold (≠ -abandon, cede, -decline, disclaim, dispossess, -forsake, leave, -reject, -renounce, -repudiate, require, -spurn) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!

  POSSESS (→): bewitch, control, demonize, direct, dominate, eclipse, enchant, govern, haunt, induce, infatuate, influence, inhabit, manipulate, master, mold, overwhelm, rule, sway, transform, witch (≠ banish, -decline, defy, -deny, eject, -exclude, exorcise, free, -ostracize, -reject, release, -repudiate, resist, -spurn)

  POSSESS (←): acquire, bear, boast, brandish, carry, command, contain, employ, enjoy, gain, get, handle, hold, own, procure, retain, secure, sport, utilize, wield (≠ -abandon, bequeath, bestow, discard, -disown, dump, give, hand, lose, miss, relinquish, remainder, request, surrender, want, yield) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!

  POST (→): advertise, advise, announce, apprise, bill, billboard, blare, blaze, blazon, blurb, broadcast, bulletin, call, circulate, communicate, concede, confess, confide, confirm, declare, disclose, disseminate, divulge, enunciate, externalize, feature, flash, herald, hype, impart, inform, intimate, introduce, manifest, message, notify, pitch, placard, plug, presell, proclaim, promote, promulgate, publicize, publish, puff, release, report, reveal, show, sound, spotlight, spread, telegraph, text, trumpet, verbalize (≠ -avoid, bury, censor, conceal, -deny, expurgate, gag, hide, hush, mask, obscure, quash, recall, recant, redact, retract, revoke, shush, silence, stifle, suppress, withhold)

  POST (→): affix, attach, bulletin, display, exhibit, nail, pin, placard, plaster, publicize, show, stick, tack (≠ bury, conceal, detach, free, hide, -ignore, loosen, -overlook, pull, remove, tear, unfasten)

  POSTPONE (←): adjourn, block, defer, delay, detain, encumber, extend, foil, freeze, -frustrate, hamper, hinder, hold, impede, lengthen, monkey-wrench, mothball, obstruct, pause, pigeonhole, prolong, refer, remit, reschedule, retard, shelve, short-circuit, slow, stall, stay, stretch, stymie, suspend, table, -thwart, waive, withhold (≠ accelerate, advance, boost, brainstorm, catalyze, expedite, fast-forward, fast-track, forward, frogmarch, further, grease, hasten, hurry, march, overcommit, prioritize, quicken, race, rush, speed)

  POUND (→): backhand, bang, bash, bat, batter, beat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bonk, bop, box, bruise, buffet, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, club, concuss, conk, crack, drub, drum, hammer, hit, knead, knock, nail, palpitate, paste, pelt, pummel, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smash, smite, sock, stomp, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thrash, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap (≠ -bypass, caress, clasp, counterpunch, defend, deflect, grip, guard, heal, help, miss, -neglect, nurse, parry, protect, shield, skip, stroke)

  POUND (/): atomize, beat, break, bust, crack, crumble, crunch, crush, dash, disintegrate, fracture, fragment, granulate, grate, grind, kibble, mash, mill, pestle, powder, pulverize, shatter, shiver, smash, splinter, stamp, trample (≠ assemble, construct, create, doctor, fashion, fix, forge, form, fuse, glue, heal, meld, melt, mend, mold, preserve, produce, protect, rebuild, reconstruct, repair, restore, revamp, save, sculpt, seal, sew, shape)

  POWER (→): activate, animate, boost, catapult, charge, drive, electrify, empower, enable, encourage, energize, facilitate, fan, feed, ferment, fire, foment, force, force-feed, fortify, fuel, goad, hasten, impel, incite, induce, inflame, inspire, instigate, invigorate, jolt, launch, lubricate, motivate, move, nourish, poke, prime, prioritize, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, punch, punt, push, ram, reboot, recharge, reinvigorate, restimulate, revive, rouse, shoot, shove, spark, stimulate, stoke, strengthen, supercharge, sustain, thrust, trigger, urge, vitalize (≠ -abort, cannibalize, castrate, consume, cripple, curb, dampen, deactivate, deaden, debilitate, deplete, dissuade, drain, emasculate, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, fatigue, freeze, -halt, hamper, hamstring, hinder, impair, impede, inactivate, inhibit, leech, overextend, paralyze, quell, quench, repress, restrain, sap, sedate, shrivel, slow, stifle, still, stop, stunt, suppress, tax, tire, undermine, unman, waste, weaken, weary, wither, worsen, wound)

  PRAISE (+): acclaim, accredit, acknowledge, admire, adore, adulate, aggrandize, applaud, appreciate, approve, ballyhoo, beatify, blandish, bless, boost, celebrate, cheer, commend, compliment, congratulate, deify, dignify, elevate, emblazon, endorse, ennoble, eulogize, exalt, extol, favor, fête, flannel, flatter, glorify, gold-star, gratify, hail, hallow, heighten, honor, idolize, laud, lift, lionize, magnify, overpraise, promote, raise, recognize, recommend, revere, reverence, reward, salute, sanction, strengthen, support, swell, thank, toast, tout, trumpet, venerate, worship (≠ abuse, admonish, belittle, berate, blame, blast, boo, castigate, censure, chastise, chide, criticize, critique, demean, denigrate, discredit, disfavor, disgrace, dismiss, disparage, excoriate, fault, finger, frame, -ignore, keelhaul, knock, lambaste, neg, pan, rebuke, regret, repent, reprimand, reproach, reprove, revile, rue, scold, skewer, slam, vilify, warn, wrong)

  PREACH (→): address, admonish, adopt, advise, advocate, back, brainwash, champion, countenance, defend, educate, encourage, endorse, enlighten, equip, espouse, evangelize, exhort, favor, groom, guide, harangue, inculcate, indoctrinate, influence, instill, instruct, justify, lecture, mold, patronize, plug, praise, prepare, prescribe, prime, proclaim, promote, prophesy, propose, recommend, school, sermonize, shape, support, teach, transform, tune, uphold, urge, worship (≠ assail, attack, belittle, berate, censure, challenge, criticize, critique, debate, deprecate, discredit, disparage, disprove, dispute, disrespect, doubt, grill, impugn, interrogate, invalidate, oppose, question, resist, revile, -scorn, scruple, suspect, traduce, vilify, vituperate) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!

  PREDICT (+): adumbrate, alert, announce, anticipate, augur, caution, declare, divine, envision, forecast, foresee, foreshadow, foretell, forewarn, hallucinate, harbinger, herald, portend, presage, proclaim, prognosticate, promise, prophesy, reveal, scent, sense, smell, soothsay, tip, warn (≠ assure, calculate, demonstrate, describe, establish, guess, insure, investigate, narrate, prove, recount, relate, report, settle, warrant)

  PREEMPT (←): acquire, annex, anticipate, appropriate, arrogate, assume, attach, claim, collar, commandeer, confiscate, convert, despoil, embezzle, forestall, grab, grasp, impound, infringe, invade, loot, misapply, misappropriate, misuse, occupy, pillage, pirate, press, -prevent, procure, reap, recoup, recover, repossess, retrieve, salvage, save, secure, seize, sequester, snag, snatch, steal, take, trespass, usurp, wrench, wrest (≠ -abandon, abdicate, bequeath, bestow, doubt, drop, fail, forfeit, give, hand, keep, lose, offer, -refuse, -reject, release, relinquish, -renounce, surrender, waive)

  PREOCCUPY (←): absorb, allure, attract, beguile, bemuse, bewitch, busy, captivate, charm, distract, enchant, engage, engulf, enthrall, fascinate, fixate, grip, hog, hypnotize, immerse, interest, intrigue, involve, mesmerize, monopolize, occupy, prepossess (≠ annoy, -balk, bore, bother, bug, dampen, deaden, depress, disappoint, dull, -exclude, frustrate, irk, irritate, jade, misinterpret, miss, mistake, misunderstand, nauseate, -neglect, numb, offend, outrage, -overlook, repulse, revolt, sicken, tire, underwhelm, weary) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!

  PREPARE (+): adapt, adjust, arm, arrange, assemble, author, bake, brew, build, calibrate, cast, compose, compound, concoct, configure, construct, contribute, contrive, cook, couch, craft, customize, devise, draft, equip, express, fabricate, fashion, fix, form, frame, ghostwrite, improvise, make, mold, organize, pave, pen, plan, prime, produce, provide, redraft, reframe, script, sculpt, sculpture, shape, state, stock, supply, tune, tweak, verbalize, warn, weave, word, write (≠ adopt, appropriate, break, bulldoze, clone, consume, copy, copycat, demolish, destroy, disassemble, dismantle, duplicate, emulate, flatten, imitate, level, mimic, pulverize, raze, replicate, reproduce, ruin, separate, shred, smash, splinter, strip, tatter, tear, topple, usurp)

  PREPARE (+): arrange, blueprint, brainstorm, budget, calculate, chart, choreograph, conceive, consult, contemplate, contrive, design, devise, draft, figure, formulate, frame, graph, intrigue, machinate, map, orchestrate, organize, outline, p
lan, plot, premeditate, project, regiment, scheme, script, shape, sketch, strategize (≠ distrust, doom, doubt, fake, forget, fudge, gamble, hazard, -ignore, improv, improvise, measure, mistrust, -neglect, -overlook, question, suspect, time, wing, worry)

  PREPARE (+): accustom, acquaint, adapt, adjust, adopt, advise, aid, apprentice, apprise, arm, arrange, assist, authorize, beautify, brace, brainwash, brief, catechize, caution, civilize, coach, cock, command, compel, condition, convince, counsel, cram, cultivate, demonstrate, develop, direct, discipline, domesticate, draft, drill, edify, educate, elevate, embattle, empower, enable, enhance, enlighten, entitle, equip, exercise, expand, extend, familiarize, fit, fix, forearm, fortify, foster, frame, furnish, gird, groom, ground, guide, gussy, habituate, help, housebreak, housetrain, impart, implant, improve, inculcate, indoctrinate, inform, initiate, inspire, instill, instruct, introduce, lay, lead, learn, lecture, manicure, mentor, monitor, moralize, mount, notify, nurture, order, outfit, parrot, perfect, perfume, practice, preach, prep, prime, proctor, provide, qualify, question, quiz, read, ready, rear, rehearse, retrain, reveal, school, scold, season, set, shape, sharpen, show, spread, steady, steel, steer, strain, stretch, study, supervise, supply, tailor, take, tame, tax, teach, test, train, tutor, update (≠ abuse, addle, attend, baffle, ban, bar, barbarize, bewilder, block, bury, censor, cheat, conceal, confound, confuse, constrain, consult, debase, deceive, defraud, delude, demean, discombobulate, discourage, disguise, disqualify, -exclude, fabricate, fluster, follow, -forbid, forget, gaslight, hamper, heed, hide, hinder, -ignore, impede, inhibit, keep, learn, lower, mind, misinform, mislead, miss, muddle, mystify, -neglect, nonplus, obey, obscure, observe, obstruct, outlaw, perplex, pester, -preclude, -prevent, -prohibit, protest, puzzle, ruffle, sabotage, scotch, scupper, scuttle, shelve, study, stump, subvert, suppress, surprise, -veto, withhold)