by Damon Suede
STROKE (→): baby, bounce, brush, caress, chuck, coddle, comfort, cradle, cuddle, dandle, embrace, enfold, fondle, gentle, hug, indulge, infantilize, knead, love, massage, mollycoddle, nestle, nuzzle, pamper, pat, paw, pet, rub, smooth, snuggle, soothe, spoil, spoon, tickle, touch (≠ abuse, backhand, batter, beat, club, harm, hit, injure, maim, pain, punch, punish, shank, shiv, spank, stab, terrify, torment, whip, wrong)
STROKE (←): adulate, applaud, blandish, blarney, butter, cajole, coax, commend, compliment, congratulate, court, endear, eulogize, extol, flannel, flatter, glad-hand, gratify, grease, hero-worship, honey, hustle, idolize, ingratiate, massage, oil, overpraise, palaver, persuade, praise, puff, romance, schmooze, soft-sell, soft-soap, sweet-talk, wheedle, woo, worship (≠ afflict, anger, annoy, -avoid, badmouth, belittle, boo, decry, depreciate, disconnect, disparage, divide, enrage, humiliate, infuriate, insult, irritate, nag, needle, nettle, niggle, nitpick, separate, shame, torment, vex, worry)
STRONG-ARM (→): abuse, affright, alarm, appall, assault, awe, badger, blackjack, blackmail, bleed, bludgeon, bluff, bogart, browbeat, brutalize, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, coerce, compel, constrain, cow, daunt, demoralize, discompose, disconcert, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, dragoon, entreat, force, frighten, harass, hector, hijack, horrify, hound, implore, importune, intimidate, make, manhandle, mau-mau, menace, molest, muscle, nobble, oblige, oppress, perturb, petrify, press, pressure, push, railroad, ram, sandbag, scare, shock, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize, threaten, trash-talk, unman, unnerve, upset, violate, wrong (≠ allow, amuse, assuage, bamboozle, bribe, cajole, calm, cheer, coax, comfort, con, console, convince, court, deceive, delight, embolden, encourage, entice, gratify, hearten, help, hint, humor, induce, influence, lubricate, lull, manipulate, mellow, mitigate, moderate, mollify, outmaneuver, outslick, outsmart, outwit, pacify, permit, persuade, placate, please, reassure, romance, scam, schmooze, soothe, steel, suggest, sway, swindle, tantalize, taunt, tease, tempt, trick, wheedle, woo)
STUDY (←): analyze, appraise, ascertain, audition, brainstorm, calculate, caliper, canvass, case, categorize, check, clock, compare, compute, consult, contextualize, critique, decide, determine, discover, dissect, estimate, evaluate, examine, explore, eyeball, figure, gauge, inspect, investigate, judge, measure, numerate, observe, peg, peruse, prioritize, probe, prowl, pursue, research, review, sample, scan, scope, scrutinize, search, sift, solve, suss, test, time, vivisect (≠ accept, assume, -blank, blind, blindfold, bury, -bypass, cloak, clothe, cloud, conceal, confound, confuse, deceive, demonstrate, disguise, dismiss, -disregard, explain, expose, fake, fudge, half-ass, hide, -ignore, illuminate, improvise, mask, miscalculate, misgauge, misplace, misread, mistake, mystify, -overlook, perplex, pooh-pooh, predetermine, pretend, puzzle, -reject, reveal, wing)
STUDY (←): absorb, accept, apprehend, comprehend, con, digest, grasp, grok, know, learn, memorize, recall, recollect, relive, remember, retain, understand (≠ -avoid, -disregard, forget, grade, -ignore, jumble, misremember, muddle, -neglect, -omit, -overlook, -slight, slur, unlearn)
STUDY (+): absorb, analyze, apply, apprehend, ascertain, assimilate, believe, chew, coach, comprehend, con, conceive, conclude, consider, consult, contemplate, cram, debate, deduce, detect, determine, dig, digest, entertain, examine, explore, eye, find, grasp, grind, incorporate, integrate, internalize, interview, investigate, know, learn, memorize, mind, mull, plumb, ponder, profile, question, read, reason, reference, reinvestigate, research, rethink, review, revise, scan, scope, scrutinize, second-guess, survey, suss, train, turn, tutor, understand, weigh, wrestle (≠ bomb, cheat, clarify, deceive, -discount, -disregard, edify, educate, flub, flunk, forget, -ignore, illuminate, instill, lose, mislead, miss, misunderstand, muff, -neglect, -overlook, school, -shirk, teach, trick, unlearn, wonder)
STUFF (→): block, clog, compress, congest, constipate, cram, crowd, fill, force, jam, jam-pack, load, obstruct, occlude, overcrowd, overfill, overstuff, pack, pad, press, push, ram, sardine, shove, squeeze, stow, tamp, thrust, wad, wedge (≠ clear, declutter, drain, empty, leach, loosen, offer, remove, unload, unpack, unstuff, vacate, void)
STUFF (←): bolt, cram, devour, eat, glut, gobble, gorge, guzzle, ingest, inhale, nosh, overindulge, sate, satiate, scarf, swallow, wolf (≠ belch, -decline, disgorge, expel, munch, nibble, -refuse, regurgitate, sample, sip, spew, spill, spit, taste, vomit)
STUMP (/): baffle, bamboozle, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, block, bother, cloud, confound, confuse, daze, defeat, disconcert, disturb, dumbfound, -elude, embarrass, faze, floor, flummox, foil, forestall, gaslight, -halt, harass, hobble, jumble, muddle, mystify, nonplus, obscure, outwit, perplex, puzzle, stir, stoke, stymie, tangle, throw, -thwart, trouble (≠ aid, assist, clarify, describe, edify, educate, elucidate, encourage, enlighten, explain, help, illuminate, illustrate, reveal, school, show, simplify, solve, streamline, teach, train, tutor, uncomplicate, untangle)
STUN (→): ambush, backhand, bang, bash, batter, beat, belt, blindside, bludgeon, buffet, bung, bushwhack, chop, clobber, clout, club, concuss, conk, cuff, daze, deaden, drub, hammer, hit, numb, paralyze, paste, pelt, pound, pummel, punch, rap, rock, slam, slap, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, stupefy, swat, thump, thwack, torpefy, trap, wallop, waylay, whack, whale (≠ armor, awaken, cover, defend, deflect, guard, parry, protect, resuscitate, revive, rouse, secure, shield, stir, wake)
STUN (/): alarm, amaze, appall, arrest, astonish, astound, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, blindside, boggle, bushwhack, confound, confuse, daze, dazzle, deafen, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, disturb, dumbfound, electrify, excite, flabbergast, floor, flummox, fluster, freeze, frighten, galvanize, gobsmack, immobilize, jar, jolt, muddle, nonplus, numb, overcome, overpower, overwhelm, paralyze, perplex, petrify, razzle-dazzle, rile, rock, sandbag, scare, shake, shock, spook, stagger, startle, strike, stupefy, surprise, thrill, torpefy, unnerve, unsettle, upset, wind, wow (≠ anchor, anesthetize, anticipate, assuage, bore, calm, clarify, comfort, compose, deaden, distract, drain, encourage, enlighten, enliven, exhaust, expect, explain, hush, hypnotize, inspire, lull, mellow, mitigate, moderate, mollify, organize, pacify, placate, quell, quiet, relax, relieve, root, sedate, soothe, stabilize, steady, survive, tire, underwhelm, unruffle, vex, weary, withstand)
STUNT (/): arrest, baffle, -balk, barricade, bind, block, blockade, bottleneck, brake, catch, chain, check, choke, clog, conclude, confine, constrain, cramp, cripple, curb, dam, defeat, delay, derail, detain, diminish, -discontinue, disrupt, dominate, domineer, downsize, dwarf, embarrass, encumber, end, fetter, foil, -frustrate, -halt, halter, hamper, hamstring, handcuff, handicap, hinder, hobble, hogtie, hold, impede, inhibit, leash, manacle, mire, muzzle, obstruct, oppress, overpower, rein, repress, restrain, restrict, retain, retard, roadblock, sabotage, scotch, shackle, short-circuit, shrink, slow, smother, squash, squelch, stagnate, stale, stall, staunch, stay, stem, stifle, still, stop, strangle, stump, stymie, suffocate, suppress, suspend, terminate, tether, -thwart, tie, trammel (≠ accelerate, actuate, advance, aid, assist, augment, boost, brainstorm, budge, catalyze, clear, drive, encourage, enhance, enrich, expand, expedite, facilitate, forward, foster, free, further, goad, help, impel, improve, liberate, loosen, midwife, move, nourish, nurture, open, optimize, overhaul, prioritize, promote, propel, push, quicken, release, rush, smooth, spur, stir, unclog, unplug, unstop, untie)
STYMIE (←): -abort, anticipate, arrest, -avert, -avoid, baffle, -balk, bamboozle, ban, banish, bar, barricade, bind, block, blockade, bog, boobytrap, bottleneck, brake, bung, burden, cage, catch, censor, chain, check, checkmate, chill, choke, -circumvent, clog, complicate, condemn, confine, confound, confuse, congest, constipate, constrain, cordon, counter, counteract, cramp, crimp, cripple, cross, curb, dam, damn, dampen, dash, daunt, deactivate, defeat, defy, delay, demotivate, depress, derail, detain, -deter, disadvantage, disallow, disappoint, discourage, dishearten, disincline, disqualify, disrupt, dissuade, -ditch, double-cross, drag, -elude, embargo, embarrass, encumber, enjoin, entangle, entrap, -exclude, -excommunicate, fetter, flumm
ox, foil, -forbid, forestall, foul, freeze, -frustrate, -halt, halter, hamper, hamstring, handcuff, handicap, hem, hinder, hobble, hogtie, hold, impair, impede, inactivate, incapacitate, incommode, inconvenience, inhibit, intercept, interrupt, invalidate, jam, -kibosh, kneecap, knot, leash, limit, lumber, manacle, minimize, mire, monkey-wrench, muzzle, mystify, nonplus, obstruct, occlude, oppose, -ostracize, outlaw, outwit, overload, paralyze, parry, pause, plug, postpone, preempt, -prevent, -prohibit, proscribe, puzzle, redact, rein, repress, resist, restrain, restrict, retain, retard, roadblock, ruin, sabotage, scotch, scupper, shackle, shelve, short-circuit, skin, slow, smother, snag, snarl, snooker, spite, stagnate, stall, staunch, stay, stem, stifle, stop, straightjacket, strangle, stultify, stump, stunt, stymie, subvert, suffocate, suppress, taboo, tangle, tether, throttle, -thwart, tie, trammel, undercut, undermine, -veto, wing (≠ accelerate, accent, accentuate, accommodate, accrue, advance, affirm, aid, allow, amplify, assert, assist, boost, brainstorm, catalyze, clear, compel, cultivate, decongest, disencumber, disentangle, ease, enable, encourage, expedite, extricate, facilitate, fast-forward, fast-track, foster, free, frogmarch, fuel, further, grease, hasten, heal, help, hurry, improve, incite, instigate, legalize, liberate, loosen, lubricate, march, maximize, mend, midwife, nurture, oblige, open, optimize, overhaul, permit, prioritize, promote, prompt, propel, protect, push, quicken, release, relieve, remedy, rush, slack, slacken, smooth, spark, speed, spur, steady, stimulate, stir, stoke, strengthen, support, transact, transcend, trigger, unclog, uncomplicate, unleash, unlock, unstop, untangle, untie, urge)
SUBDUE (←): break, bridle, cage, charm, chasten, chastise, check, contain, control, cow, curb, damp, daunt, deactivate, defeat, discipline, harness, humble, hush, leash, master, mellow, moderate, mortify, oppress, overcome, pacify, quash, quell, quiet, quieten, reduce, repress, restrain, silence, soften, soft-pedal, squelch, squench, starve, stifle, suppress, tame (≠ advance, aggravate, boost, bug, encourage, exacerbate, exasperate, fast-forward, fast-track, foment, hasten, help, hurry, incite, instigate, intensify, prioritize, provoke, rabble-rouse, release, stir, trigger, trouble, unleash)
SUBDUE (/): annihilate, beat, best, blitzkrieg, bomb, break, bury, cap, checkmate, clobber, conquer, cream, crush, decimate, defeat, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, dispatch, dominate, douse, drub, eclipse, enslave, exceed, exterminate, extinguish, finish, flatten, get, lick, lynch, master, nuke, obliterate, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outlast, outperform, outshine, outstrip, overcome, overpower, overrun, overthrow, overwhelm, pacify, quash, quell, quench, reduce, repress, rout, ruin, shellac, skin, skunk, slake, slaughter, smash, smoke, smother, snuff, squash, squelch, stifle, strangle, subject, subjugate, subordinate, suppress, surmount, surpass, sweep, take, thrash, throttle, top, transcend, trounce, unseat, upend, upset, vanquish, wallop, waste, whip, whup, wreck (≠ advance, aid, assist, back, cultivate, discharge, emancipate, encourage, enfranchise, foment, forward, foster, free, further, help, incite, instigate, liberate, manumit, nourish, nurture, promote, prop, provoke, release, spring, stir, subvert, support, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter)
SUBJUGATE (/): annihilate, beat, bind, break, bulldoze, bully, capture, checkmate, clobber, coerce, compel, conquer, crush, defeat, discipline, domesticate, dominate, drub, enslave, enthrall, force, gain, hogtie, housebreak, housetrain, indenture, lick, master, muscle, oppress, overcome, overpower, overthrow, pacify, quash, quell, railroad, reduce, repress, rout, rule, silence, skunk, smash, smother, snuff, squash, squelch, subdue, subject, subordinate, suppress, tame, thrash, trounce, vanquish, wallop, whip, wrack, wreck (≠ -abandon, discharge, emancipate, enfranchise, follow, forfeit, free, liberate, manumit, mind, obey, rabble-rouse, release, resign, resist, spring, subvert, surrender, survive, tolerate, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter, weather, withstand, yield)
SUBMERGE (→): bury, deluge, dip, douse, drench, drown, -duck, dunk, engulf, ensconce, flood, immerse, impregnate, inundate, overflow, overwhelm, plunge, sink, sound, souse, swamp (≠ dehydrate, drain, dry, elevate, expose, express, float, grow, increase, lift, loose, parch, raise, release, reveal, soar, underwhelm, unleash, vent)
SUBMIT (→): advance, advise, affirm, argue, assert, claim, commit, contend, float, introduce, move, offer, posit, prefer, present, propose, proposition, propound, refer, render, serve, spitball, state, suggest, table, tender, theorize, urge, volunteer (≠ blackball, conceal, counter, -deny, discourage, dissuade, hide, -refuse, -reject, withdraw, withhold) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
SUBORDINATE (/): annihilate, beat, blackjack, bludgeon, boss, break, clobber, conquer, control, crush, decrease, defeat, deflate, denigrate, devalue, diminish, dismiss, disparage, dominate, drub, eclipse, enslave, hamper, intimidate, knock, lessen, lick, lower, master, minimize, outrank, overcome, overpower, override, overrule, overshadow, pacify, quash, quell, reduce, reevaluate, repress, rout, rule, silence, skunk, slam, slate, smash, smother, snuff, squash, squelch, subdue, subject, subjugate, suppress, thrash, trounce, trump, underemphasize, underrate, undervalue, vanquish, wallop, whip (≠ accent, accentuate, accrue, affirm, aggrandize, amplify, assert, augment, boost, discharge, emancipate, emphasize, enfranchise, fetishize, free, heighten, increase, inflate, liberate, manumit, overestimate, overrate, overvalue, prioritize, promote, punctuate, raise, release, spring, subvert, swell, unbind, uncage, unchain, unfetter, upgrade)
SUBSTANTIATE (+): actualize, affirm, approve, argue, assert, attest, authenticate, avow, certify, concretize, confirm, consult, contextualize, corroborate, crosscheck, cross-examine, debunk, declare, demonstrate, document, ensure, establish, evidence, grill, guarantee, incarnate, interrogate, interview, justify, manifest, materialize, notarize, objectify, personify, profess, prove, ratify, realize, reify, reinforce, show, support, suss, sustain, test, testify, uphold, validate, verify, vindicate, warrant, witness (≠ break, challenge, cheat, con, confute, contest, contradict, debate, debunk, defraud, -deny, disavow, disclaim, discredit, disprove, dispute, distrust, doubt, fake, gainsay, invalidate, mislead, pretend, question, rebut, refute, scam, scruple, sucker, swindle)
SUBTRACT (/): abate, abbreviate, abridge, clip, crop, curtail, cut, debit, decrease, deduct, deep-six, detract, diminish, discount, divide, dock, downsize, eliminate, lessen, lower, minimize, pare, prune, reduce, remove, retrench, shorten, shrink, slash, take, trim, truncate, whittle, withdraw, withhold (≠ accrue, add, aggrandize, amplify, annex, append, augment, boost, broaden, complement, compound, double, enhance, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, heighten, increase, intensify, magnify, maximize, multiply, supplement, tack, treble, triple)
SUBVERT (/): belie, capsize, checkmate, confound, confute, contradict, contravene, counter, counteract, counterpunch, defeat, demolish, demoralize, -deny, depress, destroy, dismantle, disobey, disprove, -disregard, disrupt, dominate, doom, extinguish, gaslight, invalidate, invert, level, monkey-wrench, -negate, oppose, overthrow, overturn, parry, raze, rebut, refute, retrain, reverse, ruin, sabotage, scotch, scupper, shelve, supersede, supplant, suppress, topple, tumble, undermine, unhorse, unman, unseat, upset, usurp, vitiate, wreck (≠ back, boost, brainwash, choreograph, consecrate, convince, crown, defend, dignify, enthrone, establish, feature, follow, found, guard, highlight, inaugurate, insist, institute, maintain, mind, obey, optimize, orchestrate, ordain, overhaul, preserve, prioritize, protect, repair, respect, second, select, sustain, uphold)
SUBVERT (/): abase, bastardize, befoul, begrime, bestialize, blemish, cheapen, contaminate, corrupt, damage, debase, debauch, deface, defile, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, destroy, deteriorate, dilute, dirty, disgrace, dishonor, downgrade, flaw, harm, humble, humiliate, hurt, impair, lessen, mar, mutate, nobble, pervert, poison, pollute, profane, prostitute, ruin, shame, spoil, stain, taint, tarnish, vitiate, warp, weaken, wreck (≠ align, amend, better, clarify, clean, cleanse, decontaminate, dignify, elevate, enhance, ennoble, enrich, exalt, expiate, honor, improve, moralize, optimize, overhaul, perfect, purify, refine, respect, restore, uplift)
SU
CK (←): absorb, bleed, drain, draw, drink, empty, exhaust, exploit, express, extract, gulp, guzzle, hoover, imbibe, leach, leech, milk, press, pull, pump, quaff, remove, sap, sip, siphon, slurp, sponge, squeeze, suckle, swallow, swig, swill, tap, use, vacuum, withdraw, wring (≠ bottle-feed, feed, fill, fuel, furnish, inject, load, plug, replace, replenish, restore, satisfy, soak, supply)
SUCKLE (+): bottle-feed, breastfeed, coddle, cradle, feed, fill, fuel, nourish, nurse, nurture, victual, wet-nurse (≠ -deny, deprive, -halt, malnourish, -neglect, scant, skimp, starve, stint, wean, withhold)
SUE (←): accuse, appeal, beg, beseech, charge, claim, contest, demand, enjoin, entreat, exact, file, indict, invite, invoke, litigate, petition, plead, prosecute, request, require, requisition, seek, solicit, summon, urge (≠ acquit, alibi, condone, defend, discharge, excuse, exonerate, forgive, judge, -overlook, pardon, prove, release, represent, spare, vindicate)
SUFFER (+): abide, accept, accord, admit, allow, assimilate, authorize, bear, brave, brook, commission, concede, condone, countenance, digest, endure, experience, face, grant, greenlight, harden, incur, indulge, know, license, outlast, overcome, permit, receive, sanction, season, stand, stomach, support, surmount, survive, sustain, swallow, sweat, take, taste, tolerate, vouchsafe, warrant, weather, withstand, witness (≠ ban, bar, begrudge, block, censure, check, curb, -deny, deplore, -deter, disallow, disapprove, disfavor, -dodge, embrace, enjoin, enjoy, -exclude, fight, -forbid, hinder, impede, -interdict, keep, obstruct, oppose, oust, -prevent, -prohibit, proscribe, protest, -refuse, -reject, repel, repress, resist, restrain, revoke, stem, stop, suppress, -veto, withhold)