to be at a complete loss; to be without recourse; to be completely stymied; to have absolutely no idea what to do
harmonious; peaceful; happy; amicable; smooth; free from trouble
ability; capability; skill
to break; to destroy; to wreck; to ruin; to break (a bill, etc.)
privacy; secrecy; confidentiality
to take an attitude; to take a stance; to commit oneself; to assume a position
to marry (a woman); to take to wife; to take in marriage
siblings; brothers and sisters; brothers; siblings-in-law; brothers-in-law; mate
formal; strict; ceremonious; stiff
to talk; to speak; to tell; to explain; to speak (a language)
to hold back (e.g. emotions); to rein in (e.g. a horse, unruly people); to get the better of; to control; to command
main question; real issue at hand
person concerned; people involved (in an event); those concerned; staff
holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics)
seeming to be; appearing to be; like; similar to; in order to (e.g. meet goal); so that
to rage; to storm (at); to be furious; to enthuse; to speak enthusiastically; to speak with vigour
clamour; clamor; uproar; tumult; furore; furor
to devise; to arrange; to plan; to plot
to combine; to join; to tie on; to attach with a knot; to bind (e.g. an address)
crack; crevice; fissure; chap; rift
to rummage through; to ransack (e.g. a drawer); to throw into confusion; to disrupt; to upset
to hum (a tune); to sing to oneself; to croon
the more I think about it; the more one thinks about it
suspicious; dubious; doubtful; unsure; untrustworthy; unreliable; strange
not yet known; unknown; strange
living thing; organism; creature; biology
incomprehensible; nonsensical; puzzling; I don't get it; I'm confused; I'm lost
capture; takeover; hijack; skyjacking
quarrel; dispute; argument
conditionally; with conditions attached
leading; prominent; eminent; counting on one's fingers
to knit one's brows (in discomfort, unease, disapproval, etc.); to raise one's eyebrows; to frown; to scowl
opportunism; waiting and seeing (how the wind blows); sitting on the fence; straddling
to catch the eye; to attract attention
rural area; countryside; the sticks; hometown
to discern (e.g. right from wrong); to discriminate; to distinguish; to know (manners, one's place, etc.); to understand; to bear in mind
lending (money); finance; loan; adaptability; versatility; flexibility
to be effective; to take effect; to work; to function well; to be possible (to do, use, etc.); to be able to
to lessen; to decrease; to diminish
artificial; unnatural; human-caused (e.g. mistake, error, disaster); man-made