by Damon Suede
TAME (+): arrest, bind, block, bottle, break, bridle, bust, cage, calm, check, choke, collar, colonize, confine, conquer, constrain, contain, control, curb, deactivate, discipline, domesticate, dominate, enslave, fetter, freeze, gag, gentle, govern, -halt, halter, hamper, handcuff, harness, hinder, hold, housebreak, housetrain, humble, hush, impede, incapacitate, inhibit, interrupt, keep, leash, manacle, master, measure, mellow, mince, mitigate, mollify, muffle, mute, muzzle, obstruct, overcome, pace, pacify, paralyze, placate, pocket, quell, quiet, regulate, rein, repress, restrain, rule, shackle, silence, sink, smother, soften, squelch, stifle, stop, straightjacket, strangle, stymie, subdue, subjugate, suppress, swallow, temper, -thwart, train, trammel, truss, vanquish, whip, whup (≠ -abandon, agitate, air, catalyze, craze, drive, egg, encourage, express, foment, force, free, galvanize, goad, hasten, hurry, hustle, induce, inflame, instigate, jolt, liberate, loose, loosen, lose, motivate, -neglect, nudge, poke, prod, propel, provoke, push, quicken, rabble-rouse, release, rush, stimulate, subvert, trigger, unbridle, uncage, unhinge, unleash, upset, urge, vent)
TANGLE (←): bag, bind, birdlime, block, brake, burden, capture, catch, check, choke, clog, collar, complicate, confuse, congest, constipate, constrain, counter, cramp, crimp, cripple, curb, dam, delay, detain, -deter, drag, embroil, encumber, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, entrap, entwine, fetter, foul, -frustrate, hamper, hamstring, handicap, hinder, impair, impede, implicate, inhibit, interweave, involve, mesh, mire, net, obstruct, oppose, paralyze, pause, postpone, resist, restrain, restrict, snag, snare, snarl, stay, stop, -thwart, trap (≠ clarify, clear, cut, detach, disengage, disentangle, emancipate, explain, extricate, free, liberate, right, separate, straighten, streamline, uncomplicate, unravel, untangle)
TANGLE (/): bedraggle, braid, coil, confound, confuse, disarrange, disarray, dishevel, disorganize, embroil, enlace, entangle, entwine, interlace, intertwine, interweave, involve, jumble, knot, mat, muddle, muss, obstruct, perplex, plait, raddle, rat, ravel, rumple, scramble, snarl, tease, trash, twine, twist, untidy, upset, weave, wind, wreathe, wreck (≠ arrange, barber, brush, comb, cut, disentangle, groom, manicure, neaten, organize, pomade, primp, ravel, razor, sleek, slice, slick, smooth, spiff, spruce, straighten, tidy, unbind, unbraid, undo, unfasten, unknot, unravel, unscramble, unsnarl, untangle, untwine, untwist, unweave)
TANTALIZE (←): allure, arouse, arrest, attract, award, bait, bamboozle, beckon, bedevil, beguile, bewitch, bribe, cajole, candy-coat, captivate, capture, catch, charm, coax, conquer, convince, court, dare, dazzle, decoy, delight, disarm, draw, dulcify, educe, enamor, enchant, engage, engross, enlist, enrapture, ensnare, entangle, enthrall, entice, entrance, entrap, fascinate, grab, grant, gratify, grip, honey, hoodwink, hook, hypnotize, incite, indoctrinate, induce, influence, instigate, interest, intrigue, inveigle, invite, lead, lure, magnetize, manipulate, mesmerize, motivate, move, oil, outbid, overpay, paralyze, persuade, please, provoke, pull, ravish, razzle-dazzle, reward, rouse, schmooze, seduce, seize, sell, solicit, spellbind, stimulate, strike, suborn, sugarcoat, suggest, sway, sweeten, tangle, taunt, tease, tempt, test, thrill, tip, titillate, train, transfix, transport, trap, treat, trigger, urge, vamp, welcome, wheedle, whet, win, woo, wow (≠ affront, alarm, annoy, appall, assuage, badger, baffle, -balk, beleaguer, bore, browbeat, bug, bully, burden, caution, cloy, command, content, covet, crave, daunt, demand, demotivate, -deter, disappoint, discourage, disgust, dismay, displease, dissuade, exhaust, fill, force, frustrate, fulfill, glut, gratify, hassle, horrify, hunt, irk, irritate, lose, menace, nag, nauseate, needle, niggle, nitpick, offend, pester, plague, pursue, quench, -reject, repel, repulse, revolt, sadden, sate, satiate, satisfy, scare, seek, shake, shock, sicken, slake, surfeit, terrify, threaten, -thwart, tire, torment, upset, vex, warn, weary, worry, wound)
TAP (→): bang, bash, bat, beat, bob, bonk, bop, chuck, clap, click, clink, dab, drum, flick, hammer, hit, knock, nudge, palpate, paste, pat, ping, poke, pound, rap, slam, smack, sock, strike, swat, tag, thud, thump, thwack, tip, touch, wallop, whack (≠ bash, batter, beat, -bypass, choke, deflect, grasp, grip, -ignore, miss, penetrate, pierce, pummel, punch, shank, shiv, slap, smash, stab, whack)
TAP (←): bleed, bore, broach, clean, clear, decant, deplete, draft, drain, draw, drill, effuse, empty, evacuate, exhaust, exploit, flush, lance, leech, milk, mine, open, penetrate, perforate, pump, purge, quarry, riddle, scrounge, siphon, spear, spike, stab, suck, unplug, unstopper, use, utilize, vacate, -void (≠ bathe, close, contribute, deluge, douse, drench, drown, fill, flood, inundate, marinate, plug, replace, replenish, restore, seal, soak, staunch, stock, submerge, supply, swamp, wash, water, wet)
TARGET (→): aim, attend, backtrack, badger, bait, bird-dog, bug, chase, chivy, court, desire, direct, dog, entice, eye, ferret, fish, flag, focus, follow, harass, harry, haunt, hound, hunt, identify, investigate, learn, mark, note, observe, oppress, persecute, place, plague, point, pursue, retrace, ride, romance, root, run, scan, scope, search, seek, shadow, snipe, specify, spoor, stalk, study, tag, tail, trace, track, trail, watch, win, woo (≠ -abandon, -avoid, baffle, blind, blindfold, blur, -boycott, cloud, conceal, diffuse, disperse, disrupt, divide, -dodge, -duck, -eschew, -flee, forget, -forsake, help, hide, -ignore, leave, lose, miss, -neglect, -overlook, scatter, shake, -shun, skim, skip, -spurn)
TARNISH (/): abase, bastardize, befoul, begrime, besmear, besmirch, bestialize, blacken, blemish, blot, blur, canker, cheapen, cloud, color, contaminate, corrode, corrupt, damage, darken, debase, debauch, defame, defile, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, dim, dirty, discolor, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, distort, dull, embarrass, foul, grime, harm, hurt, impair, injure, libel, lower, mar, muddy, pervert, poison, pollute, rust, shame, sink, slander, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, spoil, spot, stain, stigmatize, suborn, subvert, sully, taint, tar, touch, twist, vitiate (≠ advantage, aid, assist, beautify, benefit, brighten, burnish, clean, cleanse, cure, decontaminate, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, expiate, fetishize, fix, glorify, hallow, heal, help, honor, improve, lighten, magnify, mend, please, polish, praise, purify, rectify, refine, scour, shine, uncloud, uplift, wash, whiten)
TASK (→): allocate, allot, assign, authorize, burden, charge, commission, commit, confer, confide, consign, delegate, empower, encumber, entrust, exhaust, foist, impose, invest, oppress, overload, push, recommend, relegate, saddle, test, trust, weary, weigh (≠ accept, aid, assist, confuse, disarrange, entertain, exonerate, follow, heed, help, jumble, mind, note, obey, relieve, scramble, shelter, unburden)
TASTE (←): anticipate, ascertain, assay, bite, chew, consume, discern, discover, distinguish, divine, eat, enjoy, espy, eye, feel, hear, imbibe, learn, lick, nibble, nosh, note, notice, observe, perceive, realize, regard, relish, remark, sample, savor, scent, see, sense, sight, sip, smack, smell, spy, suspect, test, touch, try, view, whiff, witness (≠ abjure, -avoid, -boycott, -bypass, -decline, deride, -disdain, -eschew, protest, -refuse, -reject, resist, -scorn, -shun) (¿) ABSTRACTION ALERT. Concrete goals essential!
TASTE (+): accept, anticipate, appreciate, ascertain, assimilate, assume, conjecture, detect, determine, differentiate, digest, discern, discover, distinguish, divine, endure, expect, experience, eye, feel, foresee, guess, hear, judge, know, learn, meet, note, notice, observe, pass, perceive, presume, realize, receive, regard, remark, savor, scent, see, sense, sight, smell, spy, suffer, surmise, suspect, sustain, view, whiff, witness (≠ -avoid, block, -bypass, -disregard, -eschew, -ignore, miss, -neglect, -overlook, -refuse, -reject, skip)
TAUNT (/): aggravate, aggrieve, agitate, annoy, attack, badger, bait, bedevil, beleaguer, blast, bother, browbeat, bug, bully, caricature, chafe, chaff, chastise, condemn, criticize, defame, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, deride, discomfort, disparage, diss, disturb, dog, earbash, exasperate, fault, fret, frost, gall, goad, grate, hagride, harass, harry, hassle, haze, heckle, hector, hound, humiliate, importune, insult, irk, irritate, itch, jeer, josh, kid, knock, lambaste, mimic, mock, nag, needle, nettle, niggle, nitpick, nudge, peeve, perplex, pers
ecute, perturb, pester, pillory, pique, plague, poke, prod, provoke, rag, rally, razz, rebuke, reprimand, rib, ride, ridicule, rile, roast, ruffle, -scorn, shame, slam, slander, spite, tantalize, tease, terrorize, test, torment, torture, trash-talk, troll, trouble, try, vex, worry (≠ acclaim, admire, applaud, blandish, buoy, cajole, celebrate, comfort, commend, compliment, congratulate, ease, encourage, esteem, eulogize, exalt, extol, fête, flannel, flatter, glorify, gratify, hail, heroicize, honor, idealize, idolize, -ignore, inspire, lionize, please, praise, protect, respect, revere, safeguard, salute, save, schmooze, soap, soft-soap, soothe, sweet-talk, toast, venerate, welcome)
TAX (→): aggravate, agitate, annoy, bother, burden, consume, deplete, drain, encumber, enervate, exact, exasperate, exhaust, foist, gall, gnaw, harass, harry, hassle, impose, irk, irritate, knacker, load, lumber, needle, nettle, niggle, nitpick, oppress, overburden, overextend, overload, overtax, overuse, overwork, pain, peeve, pester, pressure, push, rile, saddle, sap, spite, strain, stress, stretch, task, test, tire, vex, weaken, weary, weigh, weight (≠ -abandon, chuck, discard, -ditch, dump, jettison, lighten, lose, miss, offload, remove, unburden, unload)
TAX (←): assess, bill, charge, claim, debit, demand, dictate, enact, enforce, exact, extract, figure, fine, importune, impose, invoice, involve, leech, levy, order, penalize, press, pressure, price, push, rate, require, stipulate, take, tithe, toll (≠ bankroll, cheat, contribute, donate, excuse, forgive, fund, offer, outlay, overpay, pay, rebate, recoup, refund, reimburse, repay, replace, reserve, restore, scant, scrimp, skimp, spare, steal, stiff, stint, supply, tender, tithe, volunteer, withhold, yield)
TEACH (+): acquaint, advise, aid, apprentice, apprise, assist, brainwash, brief, catechize, civilize, coach, command, compel, condition, convince, counsel, cram, cultivate, demonstrate, develop, direct, discipline, domesticate, drill, edify, educate, elevate, enlighten, expand, extend, familiarize, fit, foster, groom, ground, guide, help, housebreak, housetrain, impart, implant, improve, inculcate, indoctrinate, inform, initiate, inspire, instill, instruct, introduce, lead, lecture, mentor, monitor, moralize, notify, nurture, order, parrot, perfect, preach, prepare, prime, proctor, qualify, question, quiz, read, ready, rear, rehearse, retrain, reveal, school, scold, season, shape, sharpen, show, steer, strain, stretch, supervise, take, tame, tax, test, train, tutor, update (≠ abuse, addle, attend, baffle, barbarize, bewilder, bury, censor, cheat, conceal, confound, confuse, consult, debase, deceive, defraud, delude, demean, discombobulate, disguise, fabricate, fluster, follow, gaslight, hamper, heed, hide, hinder, -ignore, impede, keep, learn, lower, mind, misinform, mislead, muddle, mystify, -neglect, nonplus, obey, obscure, observe, -omit, -overlook, perplex, pester, puzzle, ruffle, study, stump, suppress, surprise, withhold)
TEAR (←): drag, draw, extract, force, grab, haul, jerk, nab, pluck, prize, pry, pull, rip, seize, snag, snatch, strain, tow, tug, twist, unsew, uproot, withdraw, wrench, wrest, wring, yank (≠ affix, attach, bury, clamp, cram, drop, embed, ensconce, fasten, glue, implant, insert, install, jam, leave, push, release, sew, shove, stitch, stroke, wedge)
TEAR (/): bite, break, butcher, claw, cleave, crack, cut, damage, dismember, dissect, divide, fray, frazzle, gash, gouge, hack, impair, incise, injure, lacerate, maim, mangle, maul, mutilate, rend, ribbon, rip, rive, run, rupture, savage, scalp, scratch, separate, sever, shred, slash, slit, split, sunder, tatter, vivisect, wound (≠ fix, fuse, guard, heal, join, mend, protect, repair, restore, sew, stitch, suture, unite, weave)
TEASE (/): aggravate, aggrieve, agitate, annoy, badger, bait, bedevil, beleaguer, bother, browbeat, bug, bully, burn, chafe, chaff, deride, discomfort, disturb, dog, exasperate, fool, fret, frost, gall, get, goad, harass, harry, hassle, haze, heckle, hector, hound, importune, irk, irritate, jeer, jive, josh, kid, mock, needle, nettle, nitpick, nudge, peeve, perplex, persecute, perturb, pester, pique, plague, poke, prod, provoke, rag, rally, razz, rib, ride, ridicule, rile, roast, ruffle, slam, spite, tantalize, target, taunt, terrorize, test, tickle, torment, torture, trash-talk, trouble, try, vex, worry, zing (≠ appease, assuage, blandish, blunt, buffer, butter, cajole, calm, charm, coax, comfort, console, content, cushion, defend, gratify, guard, honor, mellow, mitigate, moderate, mollify, mollycoddle, oblige, pacify, placate, please, protect, quell, relieve, rescue, respect, salve, satisfy, save, settle, soften, soft-soap, soothe, still, sweet-talk)
TEMPER (→): armor, bake, braze, case-harden, cement, chill, fortify, harden, harshen, inure, mold, petrify, prepare, roughen, set, shield, solidify, starch, steel, stiffen, strengthen, toughen (≠ bend, corrode, crack, crumble, damage, debilitate, destroy, dissolve, flex, fracture, fragment, harm, mar, melt, pulverize, shatter, soften, undermine, weaken)
TEMPER (+): abate, adjust, allay, alleviate, assuage, calibrate, calm, cool, coordinate, curb, cushion, dilute, diminish, domesticate, dull, ease, except, fine-tune, help, housebreak, housetrain, hush, lessen, limit, lull, mellow, minimize, mitigate, moderate, modify, modulate, mollify, pacify, pad, palliate, placate, qualify, reduce, relieve, reserve, restrain, season, soften, soft-pedal, soothe, stipulate, tame, tune, tweak, underemphasize, weaken (≠ accent, accentuate, accrue, affront, aggravate, agitate, amplify, anger, appall, arouse, assert, augment, chafe, deepen, emphasize, enrage, exacerbate, exasperate, excite, gall, harass, heighten, incense, incite, increase, infuriate, intensify, irk, irritate, magnify, nettle, offend, outrage, peeve, pester, provoke, punctuate, rouse, ruffle, sharpen, stimulate, upset, vex, worry, worsen)
TEMPT (←): allure, arouse, arrest, attract, award, bait, bamboozle, beckon, beguile, bewitch, bribe, cajole, candy-coat, captivate, catch, charm, coax, compensate, conquer, convince, court, dare, dazzle, decoy, delight, disarm, draw, dulcify, educe, enamor, enchant, engage, engross, enlist, enrapture, ensnare, entangle, enthrall, entice, entrance, entrap, fascinate, give, grab, grant, gratify, grip, honey, honor, hoodwink, hook, hypnotize, incite, indoctrinate, induce, influence, instigate, interest, intrigue, inveigle, invite, lead, lure, magnetize, manipulate, mesmerize, motivate, move, oil, outbid, outlay, overpay, overspend, paralyze, pay, persuade, please, promote, provoke, pull, ravish, razzle-dazzle, remunerate, reward, risk, rouse, schmooze, seduce, seize, sell, solicit, spellbind, stimulate, strike, suborn, sugarcoat, suggest, sway, sweeten, tangle, tantalize, test, thrill, tip, train, transfix, transport, trap, treat, urge, vamp, wheedle, whet, win, woo, wow (≠ affront, alarm, annoy, appall, assuage, badger, baffle, -balk, beleaguer, bore, browbeat, bug, bully, burden, caution, cloy, command, content, covet, crave, daunt, demand, demotivate, -deter, disappoint, discourage, disgust, dismay, displease, dissuade, exhaust, force, frustrate, glut, gnaw, gratify, hassle, horrify, hunt, irk, irritate, lose, menace, nag, nauseate, needle, nettle, niggle, nitpick, offend, pester, plague, pursue, quench, -reject, repel, repulse, revolt, sadden, sate, satiate, satisfy, scare, seek, shake, shock, sicken, slake, surfeit, terrify, threaten, -thwart, tire, torment, upset, vex, warn, weary, worry, wound)
TEND (→): administer, attend, baby, babysit, carry, chaperone, codirect, conduct, control, cradle, direct, govern, guard, guide, handle, keep, lead, manage, micromanage, mind, mother, operate, oversee, pace, patrol, pilot, protect, regulate, run, safeguard, shepherd, shield, stage-manage, steer, steward, superintend, supervise, watch (≠ -abandon, abuse, attack, damage, destroy, -disregard, eradicate, erase, forget, -forsake, harm, hurt, -ignore, indispose, kill, murder, -neglect, orphan, -overlook, sabotage, scupper, -shirk, -shun, -sidestep, torment, torture, undermine)
TEND (+): breed, crop, cultivate, culture, cut, develop, dig, domesticate, dress, extirpate, fallow, farm, feed, fertilize, garden, gather, germinate, gestate, glean, grow, harrow, harvest, hay, hoe, husband, kill, manage, manure, mow, nourish, nurture, pick, plant, plow, pluck, pot, prepare, produce, promote, propagate, pull, quicken, raise, ranch, reap, rear, replant, reseed, ripen, root, rototill, seed, sharecrop, sow, sprout, suckle, till, transplant, uproot, work (≠ -abandon, afflict, blight, butcher, consume, contaminate, cull, damage, destroy, devastate, devour, dimin
ish, disease, eat, exterminate, gather, glean, harvest, -ignore, impair, infect, infest, injure, jettison, junk, kill, malnourish, mow, -neglect, pick, pickle, pluck, poison, pollute, pull, raze, reap, recycle, ruin, scavenge, scorch, select, shrivel, sicken, slaughter, squander, stunt, uproot, waste, weed, wither, yield)
TENDER (→): accord, adduce, advance, bestow, bid, cite, confer, contribute, deliver, disburse, dispense, entrust, extend, forward, furnish, give, grant, impart, introduce, offer, pose, posit, present, proffer, propose, propound, provide, recommend, render, sell, spitball, submit, suggest, supply, volunteer (≠ accept, accredit, approve, authorize, clear, confirm, -decline, -deny, disallow, disapprove, -disregard, finalize, formalize, -ignore, negative, -neglect, okay, -overlook, ratify, -rebuff, rebut, receive, -refuse, -reject, retract, sanction, -spurn, take, -veto, warrant, withdraw)
TERMINATE (/): abolish, -abort, adjourn, annihilate, annul, bounce, -cancel, cease, close, complete, conclude, confine, consummate, crown, deep-six, determine, discharge, -discontinue, dismiss, dissolve, drop, eliminate, end, euthanize, execute, extinguish, finish, fire, -halt, kill, limit, murder, perfect, restrict, sack, scratch, scrub, slay, stop, suspend, wrap (≠ allow, back, begin, brainstorm, commence, concoct, create, defend, engender, generate, guard, hatch, inaugurate, initiate, keep, launch, maintain, open, originate, preserve, promote, rescue, save, spawn, spitball, start, survive, sustain, trigger)