to keep within limits (e.g. spending); to restrain (e.g. emotions); to control; to hold back (e.g. an enemy); to check; to curb
until something reaches the very limit; until the very last minute; up to the breaking point
to shave (wood, leather, etc.); to sharpen (e.g. pencil); to cut down (budget, expenses, staff, time, etc.); to curtail; to delete; to erase
attack; assault; attempt; try
to fail; to blunder; to mess up; to be dismissed; to be fired
to manage something successfully; to be successful
be supposed or expected to (do); be sure to (do); ought to (do)
career; carrier (disease, signal, warship, etc.); carrier; telephone company; career government employee
performance (e.g. music, dance, pantomime, etc.)
to pull out; to take out; to lead out (e.g. a horse from a stable); to summon (e.g. to court); to withdraw (money); to draw
opposite side; other side; over there; that way; the other party; the other person
selection; choice; option
detonation by contact; contact detonation; touching off (something); triggering; sparking
without change; as is; just like; extremely similar; immediately; just after
to answer; to fire back; to retort; to redo; to do over; to try again
to take advantage of; to impose on; to make an entry (in an account book)
there (place relatively near listener); there (place just mentioned); that place; then (of some incident just spoken of); that (of point just raised); (arch.) you
decisive moment; turning point; critical moment; win-or-bust situation
flexible; lithe; soft; pliable
absorption; suction; attraction
is not; am not; are not; isn't it?
good; excellent; fine; nice; pleasant; agreeable
hitting the target; striking home; proving to be right; coming true; being on the mark
first-class; top grade; characteristic; peculiar; school (e.g. of a performance art); one flag
particle indicating that the speaker is trying to recall some information
precisely; exactly; plumb; damn; stupid; cursed
remainder; remnant; (not) very; (not) much; too much; excessively
(an) unknown; unknown number; variable; unknown quantity; not yet known
suspicious-looking; shady; questionable; dubious; fishy
to make matters worse; besides; what's more; in addition; on top of that
business world; business circles; (the) industry
first (of all); firstly; probably; most likely; more or less (satisfactory); on the whole
to meet (someone of higher status); (arch.) to be recognized (esp. by someone of higher status); (arch.) to be visible; (arch.) to be seen
peculiarity; uniqueness; characteristic
world view; outlook on the world; Weltanschauung (philosophy); appearance of a world (e.g. in fiction)
look!; there!; here!; that is
to be lucky; to be in luck; to be attached; to have; to be included
the other day; lately; recently; meanwhile; in the meantime
appearing ...; looking ...; way to ...; method of ...ing; form; style
fate; destiny; connection; tie; pretext; justification
garden (esp. with trees); park