ladle; tadpole; musical note
ceasing to think; refusing to think critically; giving up thinking (for oneself); going blank; mental block; inability to think clearly
(living) sacrifice; victim; scapegoat
strongly; violently; with all one's strength
to step aside; to move (out of the way); to make way
bottom; last; last place; mud
to draw near; to draw closer; to press (e.g. for an answer); to hound
serious look (on one's face); straight face
clothes; clothing; garments
to be disordered; to be disarranged; to be discomposed; to be upset; to lapse into chaos (due to war, etc.)
sanity; consciousness; soberness
stratagem; artifice; trick; ruse; scheme; tactics
to tell (on someone); to tattle; to snitch
or rather (say); or better (say); or perhaps I should say; by the way
there is no way that ...; easy; simple
grand; magnificent; lavish; forceful; powerful; vigorous
assistance; backing; reinforcements
malicious; vicious; malignant; shoddy; inferior; poor-quality
mischief; prank; mischievous; naughty; pastime; hobby
invasion; raid; attack; visitation (of a calamity)
to build up; to complete; to construct; to make up; to fabricate; to invent
to hoist; to lift up; to (crowd around and) rebuke; to (gang up and) criticize; to reproach severely
to smear; to daub; to shift (the blame onto someone else)
metamorphosis; disguise; transformation; shapeshifting; morphing
in fact; as a matter of fact; actually; in reality; to tell the truth
because; the reason is; if you want to know why
(showing) no reaction; non-reaction; straight face
while; although; (but) on the other hand; at the same time; opposite side; other side
to clear up; to clear away; to refresh (e.g. spirits); to be cleared (e.g. of a suspicion); to be dispelled; to be banished
bewilderment; perplexity; embarrassment; confusion
counterattack; counteroffensive; counterblow
to give no leeway; to press (for an answer, etc.); to shower (questions on someone)
siege; encirclement; envelopment; surrounding; besiegement
searching for the culprit; trying to find out who did something
reduction; curtailment; cut; cutback; scaling down; contraction
to change (into); to turn (into); to transform (into); to influence
to hold (an event); to give (a dinner, party, etc.); to feel (sensation, emotion, call of nature, etc.); to show signs of
to panic; to freak out; to fly into a tizzy
in drops; dripping; gently (sloping); sluggishly; endlessly; leisurely