Legal & Judicial Actions, Time & Clock References, Emotions, Reactions, & Relationships and 3 More Topics · English Collocations: Other Verbs

to grant financial compensation, typically through a legal process, to compensate a party for losses or harm caused by another party's actions

"The court awarded damages."

"The jury decided to award substantial damages to the plaintiff for their suffering."

to participate in a legal proceeding by being present in the court of law

"The defendant will appear in court tomorrow."

"The accused man will appear in court tomorrow morning to answer the charges against him."

to announce and schedule a formal vote to choose political representatives or make decisions on specific issues

"The prime minister called an election."

"The prime minister decided to call an election six months earlier than the scheduled date."

to formally state one's response, either admitting guilt or asserting innocence, when facing criminal charges or legal proceedings

"He entered a plea."

"The defendant chose to enter a plea of not guilty to all charges."

to form and express an opinion or decision about someone or something, often in a critical manner

"Do not pass judgment on others."

"It is not my place to pass judgment on his choices because everyone makes their own decisions."

to make an official decision about whether someone is guilty or not guilty in a legal trial

"They reached a verdict."

"After deliberating for three days, the jury finally reached a verdict of guilty."

to hold a wrongdoer accountable for their actions in the legal system

"We will bring him to justice."

"The detective was determined to bring the fugitive criminal to justice for his terrible deeds."

to participate as a defendant in legal proceedings where one's guilt or innocence is determined by a court

"He will stand trial."

"The former CEO will stand trial next month for charges of fraud and corruption."

to formally or officially provide a cautionary notice or advice regarding a potential danger, threat, or undesirable outcome

"The teacher issued a warning to the class."

"The government issued a warning about the approaching storm and advised people to stay indoors."

to use one's power or influence to make decisions and enforce control in a leadership or authoritative role

"She exercised her authority."

"The principal had to exercise her authority to restore order in the chaotic cafeteria."

to present a potential danger or risk

"It poses a threat."

"The unstable dam was beginning to pose a serious threat to the nearby village."

to make time for a specific activity, task, or purpose within one's schedule

"I need to find time for a vacation."

"The busy doctor somehow finds time to exercise every morning before going to the hospital."

to spend or use time in a way that does not achieve anything or have a particular goal

"We played cards to kill time."

"I arrived too early for my appointment so I walked around the park to kill some time."

to adjust the time on a clock by moving it backward, often by one hour, to account for the end of daylight saving time

"Remember to turn the clock back."

"At the end of daylight saving time, we will turn the clock back by one hour."

to adjust the time on a clock by moving it ahead, often by one hour, to accommodate the start of daylight saving time

"We turn the clock forward soon."

"Don't forget to turn the clock forward tonight as daylight saving time begins tomorrow morning."

to adjust the time on a clock by moving it backward, typically by one hour, to account for the end of daylight saving time

"Please move the clock back."

"When autumn arrives, we will move the clock back by sixty minutes to observe standard time."

to adjust the time on a clock by advancing it forward, typically by one hour, to accommodate the start of daylight saving time

"We move the clock ahead now."

"In the spring, it is customary to move the clock ahead by one hour for daylight saving."

to do something that makes someone extremely upset, annoyed, or angry

"The noise drives me crazy."

"The constant noise from the construction site is driving the neighbors absolutely crazy."

to enter a state of deep unconsciousness from which a person cannot be easily awakened

"The patient fell into a coma."

"The accident victim fell into a coma and remained unconscious for three weeks."

to reveal something surprising or unexpected to someone

"She sprang a surprise on her parents."

"The children decided to spring a surprise on their mother by making her breakfast in bed."

to press one's teeth against the lip as a reaction to emotion, pain, or to prevent oneself from saying something

"Bite your lip now."

"He had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud suddenly."

to have good intentions, with the desire to do something positive or helpful, even if the results may not align with those intentions

"My uncle means well, even if he is rude."

"My father can be annoying sometimes but I know he means well and only wants to help me."

to quickly come to the aid or support of another person when they are under attack, criticism, or facing a difficult situation

"My friend sprang to my defense."

"The loyal friend sprang to my defense when someone started spreading nasty rumours about me."

to earn the confidence, belief, or reliance of another person

"It took a while to win her trust."

"The new employee worked hard to win the trust of his colleagues by being honest and reliable."

to tolerate the presence of someone or something one dislikes very much

"I can't stand his sight."

"After their bitter falling out, she found she could no longer stand the sight of her former best friend."

to share similarities in appearance, characteristics, or qualities

"You bear a resemblance to my cousin."

"The little boy bears a strong resemblance to his grandfather when he was young."

to earn confidence and belief from another person in one's honesty, reliability, and intentions

"He gained her trust slowly."

"It took years for the therapist to gain the child's trust completely."

to start loving someone deeply

"They fell in love quickly."

"Many people believe that when you fall in love, the whole world suddenly looks brighter and more beautiful."

to entertain someone with generous or luxurious food and drink

"They wine and dine guests."

"The company decided to wine and dine their most important clients at an expensive restaurant downtown last Friday."

to perform exceptionally well or brilliantly in a specific situation or task

"The goalkeeper played a blinder."

"The goalkeeper played a blinder and saved three certain goals to win the match for his team."

to make a formal vow to get married to someone

"They plighted their troth at the ceremony."

"The young man knelt down to plight his troth and ask for his beloved's hand in marriage."

to feel one has enough energy and mental capacity to be able to do something

"I do not feel up to going out."

"After being sick for a week she finally felt up to going back to her regular exercise routine."

used to express intense emotional states like amusement, embarrassment, shame, etc. that one is going through

"I'm dying of laughter."

"He was dying of embarrassment after tripping and falling in front of the entire class."

to direct one's focus or concentration toward something specific

"She turned her attention to the TV."

"After finishing his homework he turned his attention to playing video games with his friends online."

to suddenly and uncontrollably express strong emotions, often in a negative way

"She had a big fit."

"My mother will have a fit when she sees this mess."

to attract or receive attention, often by means of effort, achievement, or significance

"The singer garnered a lot of attention."

"The young singer's performance garnered attention from several major record labels who wanted to sign her."

to behave in way that is expected of someone of a particular age

"Please act your age and stop being silly."

"The old man told the misbehaving child to act his age and stop throwing toys around the room."

to ensure that financial records are accurate and that debits and credits match

"The accountant balanced the books."

"The accountant stayed late every night for a week to balance the books before the audit."

to potentially involve negative consequences or harm when undertaking a specific action or decision

"Investing in stocks carries a risk."

"Investing all your money in one company carries a risk because the business might fail."

to hinder a person's ability to make clear, rational decisions due to emotional factors, biases, or external influences

"Don't cloud your judgment now."

"His anger clouded his judgment during the important meeting."

to perform or deliver in a way that goes beyond what was anticipated or hoped for

"She exceeded all expectations today."

"The new student exceeded everyone's expectations on the final exam."

to acquire information, understanding, or expertise in a particular subject or field

"We gain knowledge from reading."

"The curious student travelled to different countries to gain knowledge about other cultures and traditions."

to understand and accept logical argument, often leading to a change in one's opinion or course of action

"He will see reason."

"After presenting all the evidence, the jury finally began to see reason and changed their verdict."

to take actions and make choices that influence and determine the course of one's future or life path

"You have the power to shape your own destiny."

"The hardworking woman believed that she could shape her own destiny through determination and effort."

to intentionally seek or provoke an argument, dispute, or disagreement with someone

"He was looking for an excuse to pick a quarrel."

"The aggressive man tried to pick a quarrel with me at the bar but I just walked away."

to avoid unnecessary effort, work, or inconvenience by taking a simple or efficient course of action

"Save yourself the trouble and call first."

"You could save yourself the trouble by calling the store before driving all the way there."

to develop a liking or preference for something, especially food or beverages

"I have acquired a taste for spicy food."

"When I moved to Japan I slowly acquired a taste for raw fish and now I love sushi."

to have an increase in one's body mass

"I want to gain weight."

"After the holidays, many people gain weight because they eat too much delicious food."

to say something inappropriate at the wrong time

"Don't speak out of turn."

"The young intern was reprimanded for daring to speak out of turn during the important board meeting."

to begin something again in a different way, without being negatively influenced by past experiences or issues

"They moved to a new city to start afresh."

"After the divorce she moved to a new city to start afresh and leave all her bad memories behind."

to stay faithful or constant to a belief, principle, or commitment, even in the face of challenges or hardships

"He remained true to his principles."

"The loyal friend remained true to his promise and never revealed the secret to anyone."

to create uncertainty or skepticism by questioning the truth or validity of something

"His story cast doubt on the truth."

"The new evidence cast doubt on the main witness's testimony and the jury had to reconsider."

to establish the necessary foundation or preparation for a future project, plan, or idea

"We lay the groundwork first."

"Before launching the new product, the company spent months laying the groundwork through careful market research and planning."

to intentionally provoke or initiate a conflict or argument with someone

"He tried to pick a fight with me."

"The drunk man tried to pick a fight with anyone who walked past him on the street."

to announce one's innocence in response to accusations, charges, or suspicions

"The man protested his innocence loudly."

"The accused man continued to protest his innocence even after the jury found him guilty of the crime."

to use physical force or aggressive actions as a means of achieving a goal or resolving a dispute

"Do not resort to violence to solve your problems."

"The frustrated man resorted to violence when he could not solve the problem by talking calmly."

to trick someone into saying or doing something, often to make them reveal information without realizing it

"They sprang a trap."

"The hunter set some food to spring a trap on the wild animal that was eating his crops."

to discharge a weapon, such as a gun, in response to an enemy's attack or incoming gunfire

"The soldiers returned fire."

"The soldiers took cover behind the wall and began to return fire at the enemy positions."

to actively participate in a disagreement or conflict with someone

"They engage in a dispute."

"The two companies decided to engage in a dispute over the ownership of the patent."

to be less impressive, important, or remarkable when compared to something else

"Her performance pales in comparison to yours."

"My small car pales in comparison to my neighbour's huge luxury vehicle with all the fancy features."

to become so unimportant or minor that it is hardly worth considering in comparison to something else

"My problems paled into insignificance beside his."

"All my problems paled into insignificance when I heard about the terrible accident that happened to my best friend."

to cause someone to make a poor decision by providing them with incorrect guidance or misleading information

"Bad friends can lead you astray."

"The older children tried to lead the younger ones astray but the teacher stopped them immediately."

to devise or create a scheme, often one that is secretive or mischievous

"The thieves hatched a clever plan."

"The two friends hatched a plan to surprise their teacher on her birthday with a party."

to reduce or eliminate differences between two or more things to bring them closer together

"The runner closed the gap on the leader."

"The runner started to close the gap between himself and the leader during the final lap of the race."

to analyze and highlight the similarities and differences between two or more things or concepts

"The teacher drew a comparison between the two poems."

"The teacher drew a comparison between the two poems to help the students understand their similarities and differences."

to make a hasty or premature judgment or decision without sufficient evidence or information

"Do not jump to a conclusion without all the facts."

"Do not jump to the conclusion that he is guilty without looking at all the evidence first."

to stay away from someone or something unpleasant, particularly one that is dangerous or troublesome

"Steer clear of that dog, he bites."

"I try to steer clear of my ex boyfriend whenever I see him at parties or events."

to patiently remain in line or in a queue, allowing others to go ahead before it is one's opportunity to proceed

"The children learned to wait their turn."

"The well behaved children waited their turn patiently while the other child played with the toy."

to remember or consider a particular piece of information or advice

"Bear this in mind always."

"When planning your budget for the trip, you should bear in mind that accommodation costs tend to be much higher during the peak tourist season."

to force someone to give one information, resources, or a response through persistent questioning or pressure

"He tried to wring a confession out of the suspect."

"The police tried to wring a confession out of the suspect by questioning him for hours."

to place one leg over the other, either while sitting or standing

"Please cross your legs politely."

"It is considered polite for ladies to cross their legs when sitting in formal meetings."

to stay hidden and avoid unnecessary attention or activity

"The criminal decided to lie low for a while."

"The criminal decided to lie low in a small town until the police stopped searching for him."

to wait with satisfaction for something to happen

"I look forward to meeting you."

"I am really looking forward to the weekend because I have no plans and can finally relax."

to give support or credibility to a belief, theory, or statement

"His diary lends credence to his story."

"The fact that several witnesses told the same story lent credence to his explanation of events."

to gradually increase the strength, force, or speed of an activity or process

"The campaign is beginning to build momentum."

"The political campaign began to build momentum after several successful rallies and speeches in public."