choices; alternatives; options
careful thought; consideration; deliberation; reflection; rumination; pondering
just because; even if; even though
four corners; four ordinal directions
circle; entirety; whole; money; dough; enclosure inside a castle's walls; soft-shelled turtle
participant; entrant; player; competitor
top part of the head; crown; parietal region
to peel off; to come off; to flake off; to fade; to discolor; to discolour
triple; treble; threefold; three-ply; triplicate
short and stout; small but wide around
button (clothing); push-button; button
to cramp up; to tighten; to be insistent; to persist (in one's opinion); to act tough; to bluff; to prop up (e.g. with a post)
if anything; if pushed I'd say; if I had to say
to make a lasting impression
pending question; unresolved problem
preface; introduction; preamble
to succeed (someone); to take over from; to pick up the torch
several times; a few times; several degrees; a few degrees
to whirl; to eddy; to swirl; to whirl around (of feelings, thoughts, etc.); to swirl around; to surge
monopoly; monopolization; exclusivity; hogging; keeping to oneself
joint ownership; co-ownership; sharing (e.g. a viewpoint); sharing (files, devices on a network, posts on social media, etc.)
to triumph; to be elated with success
to screw up (one's face); to scrunch up; to pucker up; to furrow (one's brow); to wrinkle
in the end; at the end of the day
common knowledge; well-known fact
at this juncture; after all this time; at this stage; now
reservation; putting on hold; deferment; withholding
one's own discretion (idea, responsibility)
unexpectedly; surprisingly