center; centre; middle; -centered; -centred; -focused
end (of life); death; demise; (peacefully) spending one's final years
state of mind; (one's) mental state
at any cost; at any price; at any expense
(outward) looks; features; face; countenance; expression
strict; severe; stringent; rigorous; rigid; firm
thoughtless; rash; hasty; imprudent
correction (of a fault, defect, flaw, etc.); remedy; rectification; redress; reform; straightening (of teeth)
criterion; standard; yardstick; rough estimate; approximation
other party; opposite party; opposing team; one's opponent; one's adversary
outbreak of war; starting a war
to be rested; to feel at ease; to repose; to be relieved
inevitable; inescapable; unavoidable
inseparable (esp. bond, relationship); inextricable; joined at the hip; integral; essential; cannot be broken (cut, separated)
decorations; offerings; mere window dressing
to disdain; to look down on; to make light of; to hold in contempt; to scorn; to despise
or rather (say); or better (say); or perhaps I should say; by the way
starting point; origin; origin (of coordinate axes); datum point
success or failure; outcome; result
getting deeply involved; going deeply into; going too far (into something)
swing and a miss; (punching and) failing to make contact; (ending in) failure; fruitless effort
reading too much into (a statement, etc.)
to lower one's voice; to speak with a hushed voice
to create (a sensation); to cause (a commotion); to give rise to (controversy); to raise (a cloud of dust); to kick up (dust)
something like that; sort of like that; similar to that; in that vein
to mix; to stir; to scramble; to churn
gust (of wind); blast; influence; impact; instigation; agitation
closing in on (the enemy, first place, etc.); coming close to; pressing hard; pressing hard (e.g. with a question); taking to task; grilling
way of reciting; way of telling a story
real image; real form; real-life image; true picture
nonsense; irresponsible remark; codswallop; random; haphazard; unsystematic
to hit (someone); to strike; to make (a speech); to give (an address); to gamble
affectation; pretension; posturing; posing as; behaving as; acting like
to manipulate (someone); to make (someone) dance to one's tune; to lead astray; to make (someone) dance; to let dance
for peace of mind; for conscience' sake; by way of consolation
to compare (something) to; to liken; to speak figuratively; to use a simile; to use a metaphor
successfully; with success
roundabout (e.g. expression); indirect (reference, criticism, etc.); oblique
to sigh; to breathe a sigh
exaggerated; overdone; overblown; hyperbolic; bombastic; grandiose
match; game; bout; contest
friction; discord; strife
uncertain; indefinite; vague; ambiguous; equivocal; dubious