detective team; study group; club
year; age; years; past one's prime; old age
violence; assault; rough (e.g. handling); reckless; rape; sexual assault
thrust; charge; digging into (a matter); depth; straight man (of a comedy duo); quip; jab
stupid; foolish; idiotic; fool; idiot; blockhead
to hug someone close; to hold someone tight; to embrace closely
hot (thing); passionate (feelings, etc.); ardent; hot (e.g. temper); zealous; enthusiastic; intense
to become stiff (of muscles); to get absorbed in; to develop a passion for; to be elaborate; to be intricate
not all bad; not as dissatisfied (or annoyed) as one would have others believe
special; particular; peculiar; unique
filling (up) a hole; filling in (for a gap, vacancy, etc.); stopgap; making up (for a loss, damage, etc.); covering (a deficit); cloze deletion (test format)
to try and do something; to attempt to do something
condition; assumption; intention; intent; premise (in logic)
to be convinced (that); to be under the impression (that); to make up one's mind; to set one's heart on; to be obsessed (with a thought, idea, etc.); to think about obsessively
to cling to; to hang onto; to rely on; to depend on; to implore; to entreat
swing; shake; appearance; behaviour; pretence (pretense); show; going to restaurant, hotel etc. without a reservation or introduction
habit; (social) custom; practice; convention
shackles; fetters; irons; bonds (e.g. family); ties; binding relationship
self-esteem; self-respect; self-importance; conceit; pride
last stand; last bastion; last stronghold; last frontier
explanation; interpretation
shortness of breath; panting; puffing; running out of steam (e.g. economy); losing momentum
to follow; to come along with one; to accompany
bathtub (esp. wooden and bucket-shaped); small bucket used while bathing
striding; swaggering; strutting; lording it over others; acting as though one owns the place; throwing one's weight around
to pass (a car); to overtake; to surpass; to outstrip; to outdistance
boy; son; baby boy; young man
magnificent; grand; majestic; splendid
fleeting; transient; short-lived; empty (dream, etc.); mere (hope); faint (possibility)
armchair theory; impracticable theory
covered with; stained; smeared
to fill; to become full (of); to wax (of the moon); to rise (of the tide); to flow; to expire (of a period of time)
imbalance; disproportion; disparity; mismatch; asymmetry
very young; little; childish; immature
to need; to call for; to require
testimony; (verbal) evidence
article; news story; report; account