Expressing Attempt and Prevention: English Vocabulary List

to try extremely hard and do everything that one is capable of in order to succeed in something

"She moved heaven and earth."

"He promised to move heaven and earth to ensure his daughter received the best medical treatment available."

to strain or expend excessive physical or mental effort beyond one's capacity

"Do not overexert yourself during exercise."

"You should be careful not to overexert yourself during your first week of training because your body needs time to adjust to the new routine."

to leave quickly, often in order to escape or avoid someone or something

"The thief made off with the money."

"The thief managed to make off with a valuable diamond necklace while the security guard was distracted by his phone."

to move hurriedly, especially to escape or to leave a place abruptly

"Scram before the teacher catches you."

"The angry shopkeeper yelled at the teenagers to scram and never come back to his store ever again."

to avoid or neglect one's responsibilities, often by finding ways to escape from them

"Do not shirk your responsibilities at work."

"The lazy employee tried to shirk his responsibilities by arriving late and leaving early every single day without any valid excuse."

to avoid or bypass a problem, question, or responsibility by addressing it indirectly or by taking a different approach

"He sidestepped the difficult question."

"The clever politician tried to sidestep the reporter's difficult question by changing the subject to something completely unrelated and less controversial."

to deliberately avoid, ignore, or keep away from someone or something

"She shuns social media completely."

"After the scandal was exposed the other celebrities decided to shun the disgraced actor at every public event and award ceremony."

to avoid a thing or doing something on purpose

"He eschews unhealthy foods entirely."

"Many health conscious people eschew processed foods and refined sugar in favor of whole grains fresh vegetables and lean proteins in their daily diets."

to secretly flee from a place, typically to avoid arrest or prosecution

"The criminal absconded with the stolen funds."

"The company treasurer decided to abscond with millions of dollars in client funds and fled the country to avoid being arrested by the police."

to run away hastily, often in a disorderly or hurried manner

"The children skedaddled when they saw the principal."

"As soon as the teacher turned her back the mischievous students decided to skedaddle out of the classroom before she could give them any more homework."

to depart suddenly or unexpectedly

"The campers decamped before sunrise."

"The circus performers packed up their tents and equipment late at night to decamp to the next town before the local authorities could ask them to leave."

to create obstacles or difficulties that prevent progress, movement, or success

"Heavy traffic hindered our progress."

"The heavy rain and strong winds greatly hindered the firefighters' efforts to control the massive wildfire that was spreading quickly through the dry forest."

to stop something from happening by acting ahead of time

"They took action to forestall the crisis."

"The company implemented new safety measures to forestall any potential lawsuits after several workers were injured on the job due to faulty equipment."

to delay the occurrence of something undesirable or threatening

"He ate to stave off hunger."

"He ate a small snack to stave off his hunger until dinner time because he knew he would not be able to eat for several more hours."

to put in a great deal of effort to accomplish something

"He broke his neck studying."

"She broke her neck trying to finish the project before the deadline, working late every night."

to exert a great deal of effort or energy

"Don't knock yourself out today."

"She knocked herself out preparing the presentation, but unfortunately the client was still not satisfied with the results."