participants; participating athletes
shallow; superficial; slight (wound); light (sleep); short (time); early
companion; fellow; group; company; member of the same category (family, class)
activity (esp. energetic); great efforts; conspicuous service; to flourish; to participate actively; to play an active role
to find fault (with); to cavil (at); to carp (about); to throw a wet blanket (on); to throw cold water (on); to jinx
least; lowest; worst; awful; horrible; at the very least
advance (into a new market or stage of progress); launching (a new career or venture); expanding (into a new market); stepping forward; emerging
as if it were about oneself
impressions; thoughts; feelings; reactions
achievement; feat; meritorious deed; distinguished service
if you think about it; come to think of it
(divine) punishment; curse; retribution
order; command; decree; (software) instruction; statement
big moment (e.g. performance, in the spotlight); gala occasion; (on the) world stage
by all means; at all costs; absolutely
nature; property; disposition
clear as day; perfectly obvious; plain as daylight
audience seating; (spectator) stands; auditorium; stadium
public morals; discipline; rules governing social behavior
major incident; major happening; big scandal
to attract attention; to come into the limelight
huge; vast; enormous; swelling; expansion
seems to be; appears to have; supposed to be
to worry about the future
enforcement; implementation; putting into practice; carrying out; operation; working (e.g. working parameters)
to untie; to unfasten; to unsew; to unstitch; to solve; to work out; to dispel (misunderstanding, etc.)
one after another; in succession
as a matter of fact; to tell the truth
the truth; fact; as it is; as you are; frank; bare plain
plain; simple; reserved (behaviour, attitude, etc.); modest; quite; a (little) bit
sports ground; sports oval
to look out over; to survey (scene); to take an extensive view of
to encamp; to take up positions
overanxiety; needless worry
looking up (e.g. a word in a dictionary); retrieval (e.g. data); searching for; referring to
cheering group; cheering squad
to cross (legs or arms); to link (arms); to put together; to construct; to braid; to plait; to grapple
deserted (esp. store, market, town, streets); quiet; inactive (business, trade, etc.); slack; idle; free
staff; member (club, society, etc.)
ultimate; final; last; eventual
to incline one's head to the side (in doubt); to tilt one's head to the side (in confusion); to be puzzled