basics; fundamentals; basis; foundation
dignity; majesty; solemnity; gravity
to throw at; to throw something at a person; to throw a person down
(with a) start; fright; alarm
to draw close to; to edge up to; to snuggle up to; to nestle close to; to cuddle with; to draw closer to
to cease; to desist; to cut it out; to lay off (an activity); to drop (a subject) to abolish; to resign
to keep up (appearances); to smooth over (an error, etc.); to gloss over; to mend; to repair
mess; sorry state; -ways; -wards; in the act of ...; just as one is ...
in low spirits; dejected; sad
to wield; to brandish; to display (one's knowledge); to show off; to abuse (one's power); to manipulate someone
to be beneficial (to); to do (a person) good
proper (appearance, posture, etc.); correct; neat; straight; upright
standing facing each other (e.g. mountains, buildings); standing opposite each other; confrontation; squaring off against (adversaries, armies, forces); standing off against
I'm sorry; (it's) inexcusable; thank you very much (for help, etc.)
to go; to come; to be defeated; to collapse; to be annoyed; to be nonplussed
yes?; no?; isn't it?; is it?
dubious; puzzled; suspicious
to reconsider; to rethink; to reassess
to bend; to crook; to lean; to tilt; to bend (the truth); to distort
front-facing; forward-looking; positive; constructive
chopping block; springboard for discussion; draft proposal; tentative plan
preface; introduction; lead in (to a joke, question, etc.); lead up; payment in advance (by bank transfer); swinging (one's body) forward
currying favour; being anxious to please; bootlicker
servile smile; sycophantic smile; servile laugh; sycophantic laugh
(excessive) flattery; smarminess; fawning
small; fine; minute; minor; trivial; sensitive
incidental (collateral) condition
competing companies; rival companies
automatic update; automatic renewal
assumption; supposition; hypothesis
to calculate; to compute; to deduce; to infer; to conclude
valid; proper; right; appropriate; reasonable
(the) whole; as a whole; in general; at large