conspiracy; collusion; complicity
to collect; to assemble; to gather
rumour; rumor; hearsay; report
to occupy; to hold; to account for; to make up; to take up
early; a little earlier than usual; a little faster than usual; slightly quicker
to strike; to clap; to play drums; to abuse; to bash; to consult; to sound out
contents; content; substance; matter; detail; import
final; eventual; ultimate
under control (e.g. of territory)
to govern; to manage; to subdue
if so; in that case; in that situation
hostility; antagonism; opposition
difficult to ...; hard to ...
reality; actuality; hard fact
condition; term; requirement; qualification; prerequisite
mutually; with each other; reciprocally; together
to struggle for; to compete with; to vie with
current; urgent; to confront (an issue); to face (up to something); for the meantime; at present
beautiful; pretty; lovely; sweet; pure (heart, friendship, etc.)
important person; influential figure; big shot; big thing; big one; big game
influential person; powerful person; big wheel; big gun; power behind the throne
state; condition; situation; appearance; circumstances
to change; to swap; to change the object of one's interest or focus; to spend or take time; to infect; to permeate something with the smell or colour of something; to move on to the next or different stage of (a plan, etc.)
unification; centralization; integration; drawing things together; working out a common policy; consolidation
to plan; to attempt; to plot; to conspire; to aim for; to strive for
gap; space; break; interlude; chink (in one's armor, armour); chance
victory goes to the one who makes the first move; being quick to take action leads to victory; the early bird gets the worm
assailant; perpetrator; wrong-doer; aggressor
victim; injured party; sufferer
legitimate self-defence; legitimate self-defense
to take something into ...; to bring in; to lodge (a complaint); to file (a plan); to bring to (a state: tied game, vote, trial, etc.)
basics; fundamentals; basis; foundation
trade; business; trading; turnover; sales; takings
bargaining; haggling; tactics; strategy
criticism; judgement; judgment; comment
attack; assault; raid; criticism; censure; denunciation
villain; baddie; the villain's part
anyhow; at all events; in any case; either way; anyway
to compete; to contest; to quarrel; to argue; to deny (e.g. evidence)