crisis; critical situation; emergency; pinch
to repel; to drive away; to repulse; to reject
preference; priority; precedence
to restrict; to limit; to be restricted to; to be limited to; to be best (for); to be the best plan
test; trial; probation; ordeal; tribulation
battle; fight; war; struggle; conflict
(confronting a problem, etc.) head-on; directly; outright; (lit.) from the front
foresight; foreknowledge; intimation; premonition; prediction
to make narrower; to shut (an umbrella); to shrug (one's shoulders); to purse (one's lips)
obstinate; stubborn; mulish; die-hard; bigoted
(not) anyone; (not) a single person; no one; nobody
to weigh on one's mind; to trouble one's heart; to be concerned about; to worry about
antics; buffoonery; clowning; clown; jester
to wear a mask; to hide one's true intentions
to shut; to close; to block (a street, entrance, etc.); to shut in (with snow, ice, etc.); to shut off; to consume (with negative feelings)
to wrench open; to prize open; to pick (lock)
easily; readily; quickly; lightly (seasoned food, applied make-up, etc.); plainly; simply
cruel; brutal; ruthless; merciless; inhuman
absolute monarch; despot; autocrat; tyrant
under (guidance, supervision, rules, the law, etc.); under (a flag, the sun, etc.); beneath; with (e.g. one blow); on (the promise, condition, assumption, etc. that ...); (somebody's) side
wholly (due to); entirely; solely; earnestly; intently; sincerely
the last moment; the very end
selection; choice; option
to correct; to rectify; to reform; to straighten (one's posture, collar, etc.); to adjust
halo (around the Sun, Moon, etc.); ring; corona
surface; face; outside; exterior; appearances; superficiality
mixture; blending; complication; crossing; intersecting; interlacing
to be contrary; to run counter (to); to conflict (with); to disagree (with)
to perceive; to grasp (the situation)
pair; the two; both persons; both things
rivalry (between two equally strong sides); struggle for supremacy; competing (with); vying (with); contending (with); being an equal match (for)
to lurk; to be hidden; to be concealed; to lie dormant; to be latent
to tear; to rip; to break through (cordon, opponent's defense, etc.); to breach; to defeat; to beat; to break (e.g. silence)
to build up; to complete; to construct; to make up; to fabricate; to invent
as you were; return to your original position!; er, rather
when it comes to; concerning (an area of expertise)
may I ask (for); might I ask (that)
of course; certainly; naturally
to begin to say; to start talking; to broach (a matter); to be the first to say; to suggest (doing); to propose
head (of a household, etc.); leader; owner; proprietor; subject (of a rumour, etc.); doer (of a deed); guardian spirit (e.g. long-resident beast, usu. with mystical powers)
lie; falsehood; fiction; fabrication
party (of people); set (of people); clan; family; fellow
alone; by oneself; on one's own
to let go by; to let pass; to overlook; to miss