gradually; by degrees; little by little; steps; stairs; staircase
suspicious; dubious; unreliable; indecent; unseemly
direction; orientation; bearing; course (e.g. of action)
to advance; to go forward; to precede; to go ahead (of); to make progress; to improve; to deepen
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.)
pleasant feeling; pleasant sensation; pleasure
interval; space; valley; gorge; loophole (in a wall); crenel
to ascertain; to make sure of; to determine; to probe; to get to the bottom (of something)
work; business; company; study
direction; district; area; field (e.g. of study); sphere; quarter
to break through (e.g. one's doubts); to become unbound by (e.g. the past); to allay (e.g. anger); to burst (e.g. a boil)
sex life; sexual activities
to keep secret; to conceal
effect; effectiveness; efficacy; effects (e.g. sound effects, visual effects, special effects)
literally; to the letter; literal
unfathomable; inestimable; immeasurable
to prove successful; to take hold; to amount to something
middle; halfway; half (of); one half; half (e.g. done, jokingly); partly
reek of desperation; feeling of desperation
pure heart; naivete; innocence
growth; development; growing up; growth (of a company, the economy, etc.)
seriousness; earnestness; truth; sanctity
fullness; completion; enhancement; improvement; replenishment; repletion
declining birth rates; decrease in the number of children
question (e.g. on a test); problem; problem (e.g. societal, political); question; question (i.e. doubt); public discussion
to cut; to cut through; to sever (connections, ties); to turn off (e.g. the light); to terminate (e.g. a conversation); to hang up (the phone); to punch (a ticket)
passion; enthusiasm; zeal
to load (a gun, etc.); to charge; to put into (e.g. emotion, effort); to include (e.g. tax in a sales price); to hang over; to shroud
to pierce; to stab; to sting; to bite; to sew; to stitch; to pole (a boat)
to become frightened; to be frightened (of); to be scared (of)
to resolve; to ready (oneself); to make up one's mind
scale; bathroom scale; weighing machine
form; shape; figure; visage
manometer; pressure gauge
lying face down; lying on one's face; placing upside down; placing face down
just right (time, size, length, etc.)
degree; extent; (health) condition; state of health; adjustment; moderation; addition and subtraction
to replace; to substitute; to shift; to change places
pressure; stress; pressure (e.g. political); coercion; arm-twisting
high-spirited; cheerful; assertive; vigorous
shout (of encouragement, etc.); yell (used to time or encourage activity, e.g. "Heave ho!")
opposite; reverse; contrary
slightly (of an action); (looking) small and quiet
small; little; slight; below average (in degree, amount, etc.); low (e.g. sound); soft (e.g. voice)