halving; dividing (into two parts); bisection; the two equinoxes (vernal and autumnal)
solely; entirely; only; or
to miss (e.g. a chance); to lose; to set free; to let go; to fail to ...
to win and advance to the next round
most important condition (for); first prerequisite
cool; indifferent; apathetic; cold; cold-hearted; heartless
next year; next fiscal year
battle formation; lineup (e.g. for a game)
safety zone; buffer (e.g. against defeat)
trial calculation; preliminary calculation; estimation
to anticipate; to expect; to place confidence in; to put trust in; to find promising; to see good prospects (in)
ignominious defeat; crushing failure; utterly beaten; overwhelming defeat
putting on a brave face; put-on cheeriness; pretending one is fine; show of courage; bravado; Dutch courage
victory or defeat; victory and defeat
elasticity; resilience; flexibility; adaptability
luck in lotteries; luck in raffles
favorite (top choice) for the championship (favourite); best bet for the title
whole; all; general; gross; entire; overall
regrettable defeat; defeat by a narrow margin
straight-sets loss; straight-set defeat
defeat; lost battle; losing a war
roar of laughter (from multiple people); burst of laughter; uproarious laughter; laughing hard (by a single person)
swing; shake; appearance; behaviour; pretence (pretense); show; going to restaurant, hotel etc. without a reservation or introduction
nothing to sneeze at; pretty impressive
non-conforming process; noncompliant; incompatible
aim; object; expectations; prospects; something that can be relied upon; snack served with alcoholic drink; pad
to call for somebody; to come for someone; to pick someone up
early dawn; grey of morning; gray of morning
to perfect; to detail; to polish; (arch.) to make (inside something)
molding; moulding; shaping; modelling (i.e. plastic arts); modeling
insistent; obstinate; persistent; too rich (taste, etc.); fatty; heavy
hardcase; case with hard shell
transportation; conveyance; delivery; hospitalization; transfer to hospital
dial (e.g. telephone, radio, clock, gauge)
length of a blade (sword, knife, etc.); walking on the edge of a sword