occupation; profession; job; vocation; trade; calling
association; union; guild
to join hands; to join forces; to work in cooperation; to link up; to partner with
backing; support; backer; shield that protects one's back
large; big; great; prominent; -sized; as big as; university
to rule over; to govern; to command; to integrate; to consolidate; to unite
naming; nominating; designating; calling on; asking for; requesting
to laugh away; to laugh off
the front; honesty; uprightness; decency; normality
to turn one's hand to; to reach out one's hand; to get involved in; to make a move on; to strike; to beat
looking on from afar; being a spectator
to discern (e.g. right from wrong); to discriminate; to distinguish; to know (manners, one's place, etc.); to understand; to bear in mind
to take advantage of an opportunity
to buy all (of something) one can get one's hands on; to buy up; to scoop up
territory; dominion; grounds (e.g. school)
income; receipts; revenue
decrease; reduction; decline
to gasp; to pant; to breathe hard; to suffer; to struggle
territory (of country, feudal domain, etc.); (arch.) counter for suits of clothing, sets of armor, etc.
acquisition (esp. corporate); buy-out; takeover; bribery; buying off; corruption
national politics; political situation; statecraft; body politic
foothold; footing; toehold; stepping stone
to get; to earn; to understand; to comprehend; to receive something undesirable (e.g. a punishment); to get (ill)
ulterior motive; plot; scheme; complicated circumstances; intricacies
scale; scope; plan; structure
puppet; marionette; puppeteer; (arch.) prostitute
to step on; to tread on; to set foot on (e.g. foreign soil); to stand on; to experience; to undergo; to follow (rules, principles, etc.)
to curry favour (with); to play up (to); to cozy up (to); to butter up
figure; form; appearance; dress; state; condition
to picture; to come into one's mind; to remember
if so; in that case; in that situation
everywhere; everywhere one goes; wherever one goes
unexpectedly; surprisingly
to persevere; to persist; to insist that; to stick to (one's opinion); to remain in a place; to stick to one's post
negotiations; discussions; connection
difficult voyage; hard flight; rough going; rough passage; running into trouble
to outwit; to outmanoeuvre; to steal a march on; to get the jump on; to anticipate; to forestall
formation; establishment; conclusion (e.g. of a deal); reaching (e.g. an agreement); being valid (of a theory, argument, etc.); holding