Activate

by Damon Suede

  RUPTURE (/): anatomize, breach, break, burst, cleave, crack, crumble, cut, decay, decompose, disintegrate, disrupt, dissect, dissolve, divide, divorce, erupt, explode, fracture, fragment, obliterate, open, part, penetrate, pierce, pulverize, puncture, rend, rive, rot, separate, sever, shatter, split, spoil, sunder, tear, vivisect (≠ attach, barricade, bind, bolster, brace, buttress, cinch, close, fasten, fortify, fuse, harden, hybridize, join, marry, mend, patch, repair, seal, secure, shield, solder, strengthen, synthesize, unite, weld)

  RUSH (→): accelerate, aid, bundle, catalyze, charge, chase, dash, dispatch, drive, ease, encourage, expedite, facilitate, fast-forward, fast-track, frogmarch, goad, grease, hasten, hurry, hustle, lubricate, march, nudge, press, prod, prompt, propel, push, quicken, race, run, speed, spur, stampede, stir, urge, whisk (≠ -abort, arrest, brake, check, decelerate, delay, encumber, fetter, hamper, hinder, hobble, hold, impede, manacle, obstruct, pause, postpone, rein, restrain, retard, shackle, shelve, short-circuit, slow, stall, stay, still, stop, -thwart, trammel, weight)

  S

  SABOTAGE (/): attenuate, block, blunt, boobytrap, break, bugger, canker, castrate, checkmate, compromise, contaminate, corrode, corrupt, counteract, cripple, damage, debilitate, deep-six, demoralize, deplete, destroy, devitalize, diminish, disable, disarm, disqualify, disrupt, disturb, doom, emasculate, enfeeble, erode, foil, -frustrate, half-ass, -halt, hamper, hamstring, harm, hinder, hobble, hollow, honeycomb, hurt, impair, impede, inactivate, incapacitate, inhibit, injure, interrupt, invalidate, kneecap, mar, monkey-wrench, muzzle, obstruct, overextend, paralyze, pervert, pickle, poison, queer, rock, ruin, sandbag, sap, scotch, scupper, scuttle, shelve, shrivel, sideline, soften, spoil, subvert, taint, threaten, -thwart, torpedo, undercut, undermine, unhinge, unman, unnerve, unsettle, upset, vandalize, warp, weaken, wear, whittle, wither, wizen, wobble, wreck (≠ animate, assist, augment, bolster, boost, brace, build, buoy, buttress, calibrate, catalyze, choreograph, compose, defend, develop, devise, embolden, enable, encourage, energize, enhance, enshrine, expedite, facilitate, fix, fortify, galvanize, guard, help, heroicize, heroize, idolize, improve, inspire, maintain, mend, midwife, motivate, optimize, orchestrate, organize, overhaul, patrol, perfect, preserve, prioritize, protect, rebuild, rectify, relieve, remedy, repair, rescue, restructure, revolutionize, safeguard, save, stabilize, steady, strengthen, support, sustain, tidy, tweak, vitalize, worship)

  SACK (→): axe, banish, boot, bounce, can, chuck, discharge, dislodge, dismiss, eject, fire, furlough, oust, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, terminate, unseat (≠ contract, employ, engage, hire, invite, keep, praise, promote, recruit, rehire, retain, solicit, subcontract)

  SACK (/): besiege, burglarize, comb, despoil, devastate, flatten, harry, hunt, level, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, raid, rake, ransack, ravish, rifle, rob, rummage, strip, vandalize (≠ barricade, blockade, build, construct, defend, earn, erect, guard, hold, keep, maintain, outlast, preserve, protect, rebuild, replace, restore, sustain)

  SACRIFICE (→): -abandon, bequeath, bestow, cede, consecrate, contribute, dedicate, devote, donate, forfeit, give, immolate, kill, molochize, offer, propitiate, relinquish, -renounce, slaughter, spare, submit, surrender, tender, tithe, volunteer, yield (≠ begrudge, cheat, -deny, deprive, grip, hoard, indulge, keep, protect, reserve, retain, save, scant, skimp, squander, stockpile, survive, waste, withhold)

  SADDEN (/): afflict, ail, alarm, bother, burden, concern, dampen, dash, daunt, demoralize, demotivate, deplore, depress, desolate, discomfort, discompose, discourage, dishearten, dismay, dispirit, disquiet, distress, disturb, down, exercise, grieve, oppress, perturb, press, torment, torture, trouble, unhinge, unnerve, unsettle, upset, worry (≠ amuse, animate, boost, brighten, buoy, cheer, comfort, console, delight, elate, elevate, encourage, entertain, excite, exhilarate, gladden, gratify, heal, hearten, inspire, lift, nurture, please, quiet, reassure, soothe, stabilize, steady, stimulate, thrill, uplift, wow)

  SALUTE (+): acclaim, accredit, acknowledge, address, adulate, applaud, approve, ballyhoo, blandish, bow, cap, celebrate, cheer, clap, commend, congratulate, deify, emblazon, endorse, eulogize, exalt, extol, favor, flatter, glorify, greet, hail, high-five, honor, idolize, knight, laud, magnify, mark, praise, receive, recognize, recommend, signal, support, tout, trumpet, wave, welcome (≠ admonish, -avoid, belittle, blame, boo, castigate, censure, chastise, chide, criticize, critique, -cut, denigrate, discredit, disfavor, disgrace, disparage, -elude, excoriate, fault, finger, -ignore, knock, -overlook, pan, pass, rebuke, regret, reprimand, reproach, reprove, resent, rue, scapegoat, scold, -shun, skewer, slam, -spurn, vilify, zap)

  SALVAGE (←): accumulate, amass, assemble, budget, build, capture, cherish, claim, collect, conserve, convert, cull, defend, deliver, emancipate, embrace, extract, extricate, find, gather, glean, grab, harvest, hoard, keep, liberate, locate, maintain, manage, mend, nab, overcome, overhaul, patch, preserve, protect, ransom, reap, rebuild, recapture, reclaim, reconstruct, recoup, recover, rectify, recuperate, recycle, redeem, refurbish, regain, reimagine, reinvent, relieve, renew, renovate, repair, repossess, rescue, restore, retain, retrieve, retrofit, reuse, revamp, safeguard, salve, save, scavenge, snatch, stockpile, unify, unite, uphold (≠ -abandon, -cancel, chuck, consume, demolish, -desert, destroy, discard, -disown, -ditch, doom, drop, dump, endanger, eradicate, -eschew, finish, forfeit, -forsake, fritter, harm, hurt, imperil, injure, jeopardize, jettison, junk, lose, miss, misuse, -nix, -nullify, offload, -omit, -overlook, -refuse, -reject, risk, ruin, -scorn, scrap, scupper, scuttle, -sidestep, -spurn, squander, terminate, trash, waste, wreck)

  SALVE (+): allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, butter, calm, comfort, compose, ease, grease, hush, lay, lighten, lotion, lull, medicate, mellow, mitigate, mollify, narcotize, oil, pacify, palliate, placate, quell, quiet, relax, relieve, sedate, settle, soften, solace, soothe, still, stupefy, temper, tranquilize (≠ aggravate, agitate, arouse, chafe, discompose, disquiet, disturb, exacerbate, exasperate, excite, foment, harm, heighten, hurt, incite, inflame, injure, intensify, irritate, perturb, rouse, stir, troll, trouble, upset, vex, worry)

  SAMPLE (←): appraise, assess, audit, benchmark, beta, browse, check, chew, clock, consider, determine, examine, experience, explore, eye, eyeball, identify, inspect, investigate, learn, locate, notice, peruse, pick, probe, read, reference, resample, research, review, riffle, savor, scan, scope, screen, scrutinize, sip, size, skim, study, surf, survey, suss, taste, test, try, vet, view, weigh (≠ assimilate, -avoid, -blank, -bypass, confound, -decline, digest, -disregard, -dodge, -evade, forget, grok, -ignore, integrate, leave, misconstrue, miss, mistake, -neglect, -omit, -overlook, -shun, -sidestep, sidetrack, skip, skirt)

  SANCTIFY (+): absolve, anoint, apotheosize, baptize, beatify, bless, canonize, chasten, cleanse, consecrate, dedicate, deify, devote, dignify, enshrine, exalt, exorcise, glorify, hallow, idolize, purify, rarefy, wash, worship (≠ condemn, curse, damn, deconsecrate, defile, desecrate, execrate, maledict, pollute, profane, punish, soil, taint, violate)

  SANCTION (+): accept, accredit, acknowledge, affirm, allow, approve, authorize, back, bless, canonize, certify, clear, condone, confirm, delegate, empower, enable, endorse, entitle, favor, finalize, formalize, greenlight, initial, legalize, legitimize, license, okay, pass, permit, ratify, recommend, rubber-stamp, safeguard, sanctify, sign, support, sustain, underwrite, validate, warrant (≠ ban, -decline, delegitimize, -deny, disallow, disapprove, -disregard, enjoin, -forbid, -ignore, -neglect, -nullify, -prohibit, proscribe, -rebuff, rebut, -refuse, -reject, -spurn, -veto)

  SANITIZE (+): bathe, cauterize, censor, clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, decontaminate, delouse, deodorize, disinfect, distill, filter, freshen, fumigate, launder, purge, purify, quarantine, rectify, redact, refine, scour, scrub, sieve, sift, sterilize, wash (≠ bedraggle, besmirch, contaminate, defile, dirty, foul, infect, muddy, poison, pollute, soil, spike, sully, taint, tarnish)

  SAP (←): attenuate, bleed, blunt, burgle, cannibalize, castrate, consume, cripple, dampen, deaden, debilitate
, deflate, demoralize, deplete, depredate, depress, devitalize, dilute, diminish, disable, discourage, disqualify, dissuade, drain, dull, emasculate, enervate, enfeeble, erode, exhaust, extract, fatigue, filter, impair, impoverish, incapacitate, jade, leach, leech, paralyze, prostrate, rarefy, reduce, remove, rob, ruin, shrivel, steal, strain, subvert, tire, undermine, unman, vitiate, weaken, wither, wizen, wreck (≠ advantage, amp, benefit, bless, boost, build, buoy, charge, dose, energize, excite, flavor, fortify, ginger, heal, help, increase, infuse, invigorate, jazz, juice, maintain, motivate, reinvigorate, replenish, restimulate, restore, revive, stimulate, strengthen)

  SATE (←): alleviate, assuage, cater, cloy, fill, glut, gorge, gratify, humor, indulge, lighten, overfill, quench, relieve, replenish, satiate, satisfy, saturate, sicken, slake, stuff, surfeit (≠ arouse, deplete, deprive, dissatisfy, excite, famish, malnourish, pique, -prevent, sap, starve, stimulate, tantalize, taunt, tease, tempt, trigger, underfeed, underwhelm)

  SATIRIZE (/): ape, burlesque, caricature, cartoon, criticize, critique, demean, deride, distort, exaggerate, fake, haze, humiliate, impersonate, jeer, jive, josh, kid, lampoon, mimic, misrepresent, mock, needle, parody, pasquinade, pillory, playact, razz, rib, ride, ridicule, roast, roleplay, spoof (≠ acclaim, applaud, cherish, commend, compliment, congratulate, defend, enshrine, exalt, extol, glorify, gratify, hallow, honor, idolize, lionize, panegyrize, praise, protect, respect, revere, venerate)

  SATISFY (+): amuse, appease, assuage, captivate, capture, cheer, cloy, comfort, content, delight, enliven, entertain, fascinate, fill, flatter, fulfill, gladden, glut, gorge, gratify, humor, indulge, mollify, overfill, pacify, placate, please, propitiate, quench, sate, satiate, saturate, score, sell, sicken, slake, suffuse, suit, surfeit, thrill, uplift (≠ anger, appall, bore, bother, burden, depress, deprive, disgruntle, dismay, dissatisfy, famish, frighten, frustrate, malnourish, sadden, scare, skimp, starve, stint, tantalize, taunt, tease, tempt, terrify, trigger, underfeed, underwhelm, weary, worry)

  SATISFY (+): accomplish, allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, assure, bolster, brace, bribe, buoy, cheer, comfort, convince, encourage, equip, fill, fulfill, furnish, hearten, induce, inspire, inveigle, meet, observe, perform, persuade, placate, provide, qualify, quiet, rally, reassure, restore, score, sell, serve (≠ alarm, anger, block, bully, checkmate, -deter, discourage, dissuade, enrage, fail, frighten, frustrate, hamper, harm, hinder, hobble, impede, incense, irritate, menace, panic, scare, terrorize, threaten, unnerve, upset, vex)

  SATURATE (→): bathe, brine, douche, douse, drench, drown, engulf, flood, immerse, inundate, lubricate, marinate, moisturize, overfill, percolate, permeate, presoak, soak, sop, souse, steep, swamp, syrup, wash, waterlog, wet (≠ air, bake, barbecue, broil, dehumidify, dehydrate, desiccate, drain, dry, harden, leech, mummify, parch, scorch, sear, staunch, toughen, withhold)

  SATURATE (→): burden, charge, cram, fill, flood, glut, imbue, impregnate, infuse, interpenetrate, invade, jam, jam-pack, occupy, overfill, pack, penetrate, permeate, pervade, sardine, sate, satiate, stuff, suffuse, surfeit, transfuse (≠ cull, deduct, -deny, deprive, dissatisfy, drain, draw, empty, extract, leach, leech, remove, siphon, slurp, starve, suck, unpack, waterproof, wilt, withdraw, wither, withhold, wring)

  SAVAGE (/): abuse, anguish, attack, berate, blame, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, censure, chastise, condemn, criticize, deaden, dehumanize, denigrate, denounce, denunciate, depersonalize, desensitize, discredit, -disdain, disfavor, disgrace, fault, frame, fulminate, harden, intimidate, inure, knock, mistreat, neg, objectify, rebuke, reprimand, rubbish, scapegoat, scold, slam, slate, torment, trash, trash-talk, violate, wrong (≠ acclaim, appease, applaud, boost, celebrate, champion, commend, defend, endorse, enshrine, favor, fetishize, gratify, honor, idolize, laud, lionize, praise, promote, protect, rescue, revere, save, support, treasure, venerate, worship)

  SAVAGE (/): anguish, assault, attack, bestialize, bite, brutalize, claw, crucify, crush, deface, dehumanize, disfigure, eviscerate, gash, gore, harm, hurt, injure, lacerate, maim, mangle, maul, mutilate, rend, rip, scalp, shred, slash, smash, splinter, tatter, tear, terrorize, torment, torture, traumatize, victimize, welt, wound, wrong (≠ defend, delight, dignify, elevate, exalt, foster, gratify, guard, heal, honor, humanize, humor, nourish, nurse, nurture, pamper, pity, placate, please, protect, regret, repair, respect, restore, reward, soothe, spoil, thrill, treat, uplift)

  SAVE (←): absolve, acquit, aid, assist, -avert, champion, conserve, counterattack, counterpunch, defend, deliver, discharge, disengage, disentangle, emancipate, enfranchise, escort, exonerate, extricate, free, insulate, keep, liberate, manumit, nourish, pardon, patronize, pluck, preserve, protect, ransom, recapture, reclaim, recover, recycle, redeem, regain, release, relieve, reprieve, rescue, retain, retrieve, safeguard, salvage, secure, shelter, shield, spring, support, unburden, unchain, unfetter, unleash, unshackle, untie, uphold, ward, watch (≠ abduct, abuse, assault, attack, bash, betray, bind, brutalize, capture, compromise, demolish, destroy, devastate, disappear, dismantle, endanger, enslave, -forsake, gamble, harm, hazard, hurt, impair, imperil, imprison, injure, institutionalize, jail, jeopardize, kidnap, menace, persecute, punish, risk, ruin, savage, seize, target, terrorize, threaten, torment, torture, traumatize, venture, victimize, violate, wreck)

  SAVE (←): accrue, accumulate, amass, archive, bank, budget, cache, coffer, collect, compile, conserve, deposit, gather, glean, harvest, heap, hoard, hog, hold, keep, maintain, manage, monopolize, pack, pile, preserve, reap, recycle, reserve, retain, salvage, scant, scavenge, scrimp, skimp, spare, squirrel, stash, stockpile, store, stow, treasure, tuck, wedge (≠ chuck, consume, contribute, diffuse, discard, dispense, dole, dollop, donate, dump, eliminate, forfeit, give, lose, provide, scatter, scrap, share, spend, squander, use, waste)

  SAVE (+): brine, bronze, conserve, defend, embalm, guard, hinder, keep, maintain, -obviate, pickle, preserve, -prevent, protect, safeguard, screen, shield, spare, sustain (≠ bruise, compromise, contaminate, damage, destroy, endanger, expose, harm, imperil, jeopardize, risk, target, threaten, wither, wreck)

  SAVOR (←): admire, adore, applaud, appreciate, celebrate, cherish, clock, congratulate, consume, detect, devour, dig, drink, eat, enjoy, esteem, experience, extol, eye, fancy, favor, gobble, heed, idolize, indulge, inhale, love, mull, note, observe, ponder, prefer, prize, recognize, relish, respect, revere, scrutinize, sense, smell, sniff, taste, touch, treasure, value, venerate, whiff, wolf, worship (≠ -abandon, abhor, abominate, -avoid, boo, chide, condemn, criticize, -despise, -disdain, disfavor, -dodge, -eschew, forfeit, -hate, -loathe, protest, -refuse, regret, -reject, -renounce, repent, -repudiate, resent, ridicule, rue, -scorn, -shun, -sidestep, -spurn) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!

  SCALE (→): ascend, beat, best, clamber, climb, conquer, crest, exceed, mount, outreach, overcome, overtake, surmount, surpass, tackle, top, vanquish (≠ -bypass, circumnavigate, compress, descend, dip, dismount, -disregard, -dodge, drop, -flee, miss, mistake, -overlook, plumb, plunge, sink, submerge)

  SCAM (←): bamboozle, beat, beguile, bilk, blackmail, bleed, bluff, bribe, buffalo, bullshit, burn, cajole, cheat, chisel, con, convince, cozen, crib, deceive, defraud, delude, diddle, double-cross, double-deal, double-talk, dupe, embezzle, euchre, exploit, fake, fiddle, finagle, fleece, flimflam, fool, fox, fudge, goldbrick, gouge, gull, hoax, hocus-pocus, hoodwink, hornswoggle, hose, lull, manipulate, milk, mislead, nobble, outslick, outsmart, outwit, palaver, persuade, pretend, rob, rook, sandbag, screw, shaft, short, shortchange, skin, snooker, snow, stiff, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, trick, two-time, underpay, victimize, wrong (≠ accuse, afford, assess, assume, assure, audit, authenticate, believe, confess, confirm, confront, corroborate, debunk, deflate, discredit, disgrace, dispute, divulge, document, doubt, evince, expose, fund, give, humiliate, malign, mock, offer, -ostracize, pillory, pity, protect, prove, provide, regret, -repudiate, respect, restore, reveal, scruple, shame, stigmatize, substantiate, supply, support, trust, underwrite, verify, vilify)

/>   SCAN (←): browse, check, compute, consider, contemplate, examine, flash, inspect, investigate, learn, liken, police, prowl, read, regard, riffle, scour, scrutinize, search, skim, spell, study, survey, suss, sweep, x-ray (≠ -blank, blind, blindfold, confuse, discard, -disregard, forget, -ignore, miss, mystify, -neglect, perplex, puzzle, skim, skip)

  SCANDALIZE (/): affront, aggrieve, anger, annoy, antagonize, appall, disgruntle, disgust, dish, dismay, disoblige, distress, disturb, exasperate, fret, gall, horrify, hurt, insult, irritate, jar, miff, muckrake, nauseate, nettle, offend, outrage, pain, pique, provoke, repel, repulse, revolt, rile, shock, sicken, slur, -snub, sting, troll, upset, vex, wound, zing (≠ aggrandize, aid, assist, bolster, compliment, conceal, dignify, elevate, enhance, ennoble, exalt, glorify, guard, help, honor, impress, inspire, please, praise, promote, protect, raise, secure, support, uplift)

  SCAPEGOAT (/): abuse, accuse, admonish, assail, attack, attaint, badmouth, belittle, berate, blame, blast, blister, castigate, censure, charge, chastise, chide, clobber, condemn, criticize, crucify, decry, demonize, denigrate, denounce, deride, discipline, disparage, drub, excoriate, fault, finger, flay, frame, fulminate, gibbet, hammer, impugn, incriminate, keelhaul, knock, lambaste, lash, pan, penalize, pillory, punish, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, resent, scalp, scold, skewer, slam, slash, upbraid, zap (≠ absolve, acquit, adore, advantage, alibi, approve, benefit, bless, boost, cherish, clear, commend, condone, defend, elevate, encourage, endorse, excuse, exonerate, favor, forgive, guard, ingratiate, pardon, praise, promote, protect, reassure, recommend, release, remedy, rescue, respect, revere, sanction, save, shield, spare, sponsor, treasure, venerate, worship)