Fundamental Verbs: English Vocabulary List

to violently cut with a quick move using a knife, etc.

"He slashes the price dramatically."

"Someone slashed the tires of my car while it was parked on the street overnight near my apartment building."

to turn or move around a center

"The earth rotates on its axis."

"The Earth rotates on its axis once every twenty four hours which causes day and night cycles."

to investigate or explore in depth in order to find out more information

"Doctors probe the wound for debris."

"The detective tried to probe the suspect's mind to find out what really happened on the night of the crime."

to firmly attach or tighten something using a turning metal fastener

"Screw it in tightly."

"You need to screw the cap tightly onto the bottle to prevent the liquid from leaking out during transport."

to break suddenly into several pieces

"The glass shatters into many tiny pieces."

"The glass vase fell off the table and shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces on the hard tile floor."

to get rid of something that is not wanted or needed anymore

"They shed unwanted items."

"The dog sheds its thick fur in the spring which means I have to vacuum the house every single day."

to hold, fasten, or turn something firmly

"She tightens the loose screw carefully."

"You should tighten the bolts on the bicycle wheels to make sure they do not come loose while you are riding."

to momentarily raise one's shoulders to express indifference

"He shrugged his shoulders carelessly."

"When I asked him directly about the missing money he just shrugged his shoulders and said absolutely nothing."

to cover or last the whole of a period of time

"The bridge spans the wide river."

"The old bridge spans the wide river and connects two small towns on opposite sides of the water."

to be pulled along by a leading force

"Hikers trail behind the group leader."

"The children trailed behind their parents as they walked slowly through the busy zoo looking at the animals."

to shout very loudly

"Do not yell in the library."

"The angry coach started to yell instructions at his players from the side of the field because they were losing the match badly."

to momentarily put something into a liquid

"She dips the brush into paint."

"You should dip the brush into the paint carefully to avoid dripping onto the floor."

to attach or secure something by means of a curved or angled object

"He hooks the fish with bait."

"The fisherman managed to hook a large fish but it escaped before he could pull it into the boat."

to forcibly push something against a surface until it breaks or is damaged or disfigured

"The machine will crush the cans."

"The machine is designed to crush empty aluminum cans so they can be recycled more efficiently."

to push a knife or other sharp object into someone to injure or kill them

"The criminal stabbed his victim."

"The witness claimed that a tall masked man tried to stab the victim twice last night."

to violently hurt a person as a punishment or as a way of obtaining information from them

"The captors tortured their prisoners brutally."

"International law prohibits the use of torture under any circumstances even during times of war or national emergency."

to violently hit a person or animal with a whip

"The old punishment was to whip criminals."

"In the past prisoners were sometimes punished by being whipped with a leather strap as a form of physical discipline."

to let gas or liquid flow through a crack or small hole

"The pipe leaks water onto floor."

"The old pipe in the basement began to leak water and caused a small flood on the floor."

to skillfully control or work with information, a system, tool, etc.

"He can manipulate data."

"The politician was accused of attempting to manipulate public opinion through misleading statistics."

to suddenly and forcibly take hold of something

"The army seized control of the city."

"The army moved quickly to seize control of the airport before the enemy could arrive and defend it."

to tightly fill or block a hole with something

"Plug the hole tightly."

"You need to plug the charger into the wall outlet before connecting it to your phone."

to make a sudden light sound like a small explosion

"The cork will pop."

"The balloon suddenly popped and scared the little baby who then started to cry loudly."

to tear, cut, or open something forcefully and quickly

"Rip the paper along the dotted line."

"She accidentally ripped her new dress on a sharp edge of the table while walking past quickly."

to live in a specific place

"She resides in a small apartment downtown."

"The famous author resides in a small coastal town where she finds peace and inspiration for her writing."

to gently move from one side to another

"Waves rock the boat back and forth."

"The mother gently rocked the baby to sleep while singing a soft lullaby in the dark room."

to make gas or liquid move in a certain direction using a mechanical action

"He pumps air into the flat tire."

"The heart pumps blood through the arteries to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body."

(of clothes or fabric) to become smaller when washed with hot water

"Wool sweaters shrink in hot water."

"Wool sweaters tend to shrink in hot water so always wash them in cold water instead."

to release a long deep audible breath, to express one's sadness, tiredness, etc.

"She sighed with relief and happiness."

"She sighed with relief when she heard that her flight had been delayed and she would not miss it."

to forcibly break something into several pieces

"He smashes the window with a rock."

"The angry child smashed the toy against the wall because he could not make it work properly."

to suddenly break with a sharp noise

"The twig snaps under his weight."

"The dry branch snapped in half when he stepped on it making a loud cracking sound in the quiet forest."

to go higher while flying

"The bird will soar."

"With the updraft, the eagle began to soar effortlessly above the rugged mountain peaks."

to emit small flashes of electricity or fire

"The wire sparks electricity."

"The statement from the politician sparked a heated debate among the members of the public and the media."

to turn around over and over very fast

"The dancer will spin gracefully."

"The ice skater began to spin faster and faster until she became a blur of color on the frozen rink."

to accidentally hit something with one's foot and almost fall

"He stumbled on the rug."

"He was so tired that he began to stumble over his own feet while walking home late at night."

to control the direction of a moving object, such as a car, ship, etc.

"She steers the car around the corner."

"The captain managed to steer the large ship safely through the narrow channel despite the strong currents."

to pull air, liquid, etc. into the mouth by using the muscles of the mouth and the lips

"The baby will suck his thumb."

"The baby learned to suck milk from a bottle after his mother returned to work and could not breastfeed during the day."

to move or make something move from one side to another while suspended

"The children swing on the playground."

"The little girl loved to swing back and forth on the old wooden swing set behind her grandparent's house."

to bend an object into a particular shape, such as wire, cloth, etc.

"Twist the cap to open the bottle."

"She had to twist the stubborn lid of the jar with all her strength before it finally opened."

to remove a cover from a statue, painting, etc. for the people to see, particularly as part of a public ceremony

"They will unveil it."

"The mayor will officially unveil the new public monument during the city's centennial celebration."