fraternization / Ready for C2 SB p. 8,9

fraternization with

forming friendly or close relationships, often where it’s considered inappropriate (e.g., between soldiers and locals, bosses and employees) [formal]
Collocates: ban on ~, discourage ~, improper ~

• The army strictly prohibits ~ enemy civilians during wartime.

• The company handbook warns against ~ clients outside of business hours.

reprimand

to formally express disapproval of someone’s actions [formal]
Collocates: ~ severely, receive a ~, issue a ~

• The teacher ~ed the student for cheating on the test.

• He received a formal ~ from his boss for being late repeatedly.

refrain from

to deliberately avoid doing something [formal]
Collocates: kindly ~, ~ comment, ~ smoking

• Please ~ using your phone during the performance.

• He had to ~ making jokes, knowing the mood was too serious.

poke fun at

to make harmless jokes about someone or something [informal]
Collocates: ~ politicians, ~ stereotypes, ~ a friend

• The comedian ~ed at his own bad cooking skills.

• They often ~ed at the strict school rules.

overflow with

to be so full of something that it spills out; figuratively, to be filled with an emotion [neutral]
Collocates: ~ joy, ~ enthusiasm, ~ love

• The basket was ~ fruit from the harvest.

• She was ~ pride as her daughter graduated.

in a word

used when summing something up briefly [neutral / idiomatic]
Collocates: ~ disastrous, ~ brilliant, ~ unforgettable

• The trip was, ~, exhausting.

• His attitude was, ~, unacceptable

on the face of it

used to describe something as it appears, even if the reality may be different [neutral / idiomatic]

• ~, the plan seems good, but it hides serious flaws.

• The offer looked generous ~, but there were hidden fees.

brandish

to wave something, especially a weapon, in a threatening or excited way [formal / descriptive]
Collocates: ~ a sword, ~ a knife, ~ a gun

• He ~ed a knife at the intruders.

• Protesters ~ed placards demanding justice.

• It is often ~ed as a marker of one’s self-identity.

succumb to temptation

to fail to resist a desire for something [formal / literary]
Collocates: ~ easily, ~ chocolate, ~ temptation of power

• She finally ~ed to temptation and bought the expensive shoes.

• He ~ed to temptation despite promising to stay on his diet.

bestow /bɪˈstoʊ/

to give an honor, award, or gift formally [formal]
Collocates: ~ a title, ~ an honor, ~ blessings

• The university ~ed an honorary degree upon the scientist.

• The king ~ed knighthood on the brave soldier.

lofty

noble, elevated, or very high (literally or figuratively) [formal / literary]
Collocates: ~ ideals, ~ ambitions, ~ tower

• He spoke with ~ ideals about changing the world.

• From the mountain’s ~ peak, the valley stretched below.

defeat the purpose of

to make the aim of something useless or meaningless [neutral / idiomatic]
Collocates: ~ rules, ~ the idea, completely ~

• Copying homework would ~ the purpose of the exercise.

• Yelling during meditation ~s the purpose of calming the mind.

breed resentment among

to cause bitterness and hostility to develop in a group [formal]
Collocates: ~ employees, ~ the public, ~ colleagues

• Favoritism from management ~ed resentment among the staff.

• The unfair policy quickly ~ed resentment among citizens.

crowdsource

to obtain services, ideas, or funding by asking a large group of people, usually online [modern / business]
Collocates: ~ ideas, ~ solutions, ~ funds

• The startup ~d its initial capital through an online campaign.

• They decided to ~ new logo designs from their community.

have to have seen it

said when something is so unusual or unbelievable that it must be witnessed to be understood [informal]
Collocates: ~ to believe it, ~ in person

• The fireworks display was so stunning—you really ~.

• His performance was so strange you ~ to believe it.

despise

to feel strong dislike or hatred for someone or something [formal / critical]
Collocates: ~ hypocrisy, ~ authority, ~ arrogance

• She ~ed people who looked down on the poor.

• He secretly ~ed his boss’s arrogance.

long for

to strongly desire something unattainable or far away [literary / emotional]
Collocates: ~ home, ~ peace, ~ affection

• She ~ed for her childhood home during lonely nights abroad.

• He ~ed for a world without war.

contend

to argue strongly; to compete against difficulty [formal]
Collocates: ~ that sth is true, ~ with problems, ~ for power

• The lawyer ~ed that his client was innocent.

• They had to ~ with extreme weather conditions during the expedition.

breathe life into

to make something more lively, interesting, or successful [figurative]
Collocates: ~ a project, ~ a conversation, ~ tradition

• The new teacher ~ed life into the classroom with her energy.

• Their ideas ~ed life into the struggling company.

scale up

to increase the size, amount, or effectiveness of something [business / neutral]
Collocates: ~ production, ~ operations, ~ investment

• The factory plans to ~ production to meet demand.

• They hope to ~ their campaign to reach international markets.

lapse in concentration

a temporary failure to pay attention [formal]
Collocates: ~ during exams, brief ~, costly ~

• One ~ in concentration cost him the chess match.

• She had a brief ~ while driving and nearly caused an accident.

backer

a person or organization that supports and finances something [neutral / business]
Collocates: financial ~, political ~, major ~

• The project secured several wealthy ~s.

• The politician’s ~s demanded results.

untouched by urban sprawl

unaffected by the uncontrolled spread of cities [descriptive / neutral]
Collocates: ~ countryside, ~ landscape, ~ wilderness

• The valley remained ~, a rare piece of wilderness.

• They moved to a town still ~.

dawdle

to waste time or move slowly when promptness is needed [informal / disapproving]
Collocates: ~ on the way, ~ over breakfast, stop ~ing

• She ~d on the way to school, picking flowers.

• Don’t ~, or we’ll miss the train!

foot the bill

to pay the cost of something, especially when it’s large [informal / idiomatic]
Collocates: ~ for dinner, ~ the expenses, taxpayers ~

• His parents had to ~ for the wedding.

• The taxpayers ended up ~ing the bill for the failed project.

owe its beauty to

to be beautiful because of a particular cause [formal / descriptive]
Collocates: ~ nature, ~ history, ~ architecture

• The town ~s its beauty to its stunning coastline.

• The painting ~s its beauty to the artist’s bold colors.

conclude an agreement

to formally make and finalize an agreement [formal / legal]
Collocates: ~ successfully, ~ after negotiations, ~ treaty

• The two countries finally ~d an agreement on trade.

• Lawyers ~d an agreement after weeks of talks.

referrals and word of mouth

recommendations given by people, often leading to new clients or customers [business]
Collocates: rely on ~, grow through ~, positive ~

• The clinic gained most new patients through ~.

• Their business thrives on ~.

wrangle

to argue noisily or to herd/control animals [informal / neutral]
Collocates: ~ over money, ~ with officials, ~ cattle

• The two companies ~d over patent rights.

• Cowboys ~d cattle into the corral.

radiant splendor

dazzling beauty or magnificence that shines brightly [literary]
Collocates: ~ of the sunrise, ~ of jewels, ~ of nature

• The palace glowed in all its ~.

• They admired the ~ of the autumn leaves.

as we speak

happening right now, at this very moment [informal]
Collocates: changing ~, unfolding ~, developing ~

• The situation is shifting ~.

• Rescue workers are arriving ~.

hold a hearing

to conduct an official meeting, especially in a court or legislature, to gather evidence [formal / legal]
Collocates: ~ in court, ~ public ~, ~ testimony

• Congress will ~ on the proposed law tomorrow.

• The judge decided to ~ before announcing a verdict.

hit the ground running

to start an activity energetically and successfully from the beginning [informal / business]
Collocates: new job ~, project ~, team ~

• She ~ on her first day at work, closing two major deals.

• The campaign team ~ as soon as funding arrived.

undue

more than is reasonable, appropriate, or necessary [formal, critical]
Collocates: ~ influence, ~ stress, ~ hardship, ~ pressure

• The new law places ~ pressure on small businesses that lack resources.

• She refused to sign the contract, claiming she had been put under ~ influence.

• The student faced ~ stress trying to balance three part-time jobs with his studies.

slow to a crawl

to reduce speed until movement is extremely slow, almost stopping [informal / descriptive]
Collocates: traffic ~, negotiations ~, process ~

• After the truck accident, traffic ~ed to a crawl on the highway for three hours.

• Negotiations ~ed to a crawl once the parties began arguing over minor details.

• The project ~ed to a crawl after funding dried up.

cuff

1) the end part of a sleeve, where it is turned back or finished; 2) a light, playful blow with the hand; 3) (pl.) short for handcuffs [neutral / informal / legal]
Collocates: shirt ~, pant ~, a ~ on the head, police ~s

• He wore a crisp white shirt with gold links at the ~s.

• The father gave his son a gentle ~ on the ear, laughing at his mischief.

• The suspect was led away in ~s after the arrest.

spread

a soft, easily spreadable food applied to bread, crackers, etc. [neutral]
Collocates: cheese ~, chocolate ~, peanut butter ~, jam ~

• She prepared toast with a rich cream cheese ~.

• The hotel breakfast offered a variety of jams and a hazelnut chocolate ~.

• He reached for the peanut butter ~ to make a quick sandwich.