A Fragile Nuclear Pact: US-Saudi Deal and Regional Instability

Not present in a place, at an occasion, or in a thing.

Synonyms: missing, non-existent, lacking

"A crucial clause was <b>absent</b> from the final contract."

An official agreement or treaty.

Synonyms: agreement, treaty, pact

"The two nations reached an <b>accord</b> on trade relations after months of negotiations."

Stuck fast to a surface or substance; followed (a practice or belief) consistently.

Synonyms: followed, abided, conformed

"He strictly <b>adhered</b> to the instructions given by the supervisor."

Diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).

Synonyms: alleviate, assuage, calm

"The reassurances from the management helped to <b>allay</b> the employees' concerns."

Open to more than one interpretation; having a double meaning.

Synonyms: unclear, vague, equivocal

"The politician's statement was so <b>ambiguous</b> that it left everyone confused."

Having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed.

Synonyms: aspiring, determined, driven

"She has an <b>ambitious</b> plan to launch her own startup within a year."

Anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.

Synonyms: fears, worries, concerns

"Despite her outward calm, she felt deep <b>apprehensions</b> about the upcoming exam."

A confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.

Synonyms: claims, declarations, statements

"His constant <b>assertions</b> about his innocence did little to convince the jury."

A violent attack.

Synonyms: attack, raid, onslaught

"The police responded quickly to the report of an <b>assault</b>."

The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience; a person or organization having power or control.

Synonyms: officials, government, administration

"The local <b>authorities</b> are responsible for maintaining public order."

The action of working with someone to produce or create something.

Synonyms: cooperation, partnership, alliance

"The project was a success due to the effective <b>collaboration</b> between different departments."

Forced or obliged (someone) to do something.

Synonyms: forced, obliged, constrained

"He felt <b>compelled</b> to apologize for his rude behavior."

Combined (two or more sets of information, text, ideas, etc.) into one.

Synonyms: combined, merged, blended

"Many often <b>conflate</b> correlation with causation, leading to flawed conclusions."

In every case or on every occasion; invariably.

Synonyms: always, steadily, regularly

"She has <b>consistently</b> achieved high marks in her academic career."

Assert something as a position in an argument.

Synonyms: argue, assert, claim

"Scientists <b>contend</b> that climate change is a serious threat to the planet."

Subject to chance; dependent on whether something else happens or not.

Synonyms: dependent, conditional, reliant

"The success of the project is <b>contingent</b> upon adequate funding."

Extremely complex and difficult to follow.

Synonyms: intricate, complex, complicated

"The plot of the movie was so <b>convoluted</b> that I struggled to understand it."

Of great importance.

Synonyms: critical, pivotal, vital

"Effective communication is <b>crucial</b> for any successful team."

Try to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill).

Synonyms: develop, foster, nurture

"It's important to <b>cultivate</b> good relationships with your colleagues."

The quality of being trustworthy and reliable.

Synonyms: reliability, trustworthiness, consistency

"The team values his <b>dependability</b>, especially during challenging projects."

Conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie; a discussion between two or more groups, especially with a view to reaching an agreement.

Synonyms: conversation, discussion, exchange

"Open <b>dialogue</b> is essential for resolving conflicts peacefully."

The action of making new or secret information known.

Synonyms: revelation, unveiling, exposure

"The company faced criticism after the <b>disclosure</b> of its unethical practices."

Make or become more varied.

Synonyms: expand, broaden, vary

"Businesses often need to <b>diversify</b> their products to remain competitive."

The action of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something; in nuclear terms, the process of increasing the proportion of a particular isotope.

Synonyms: enhancement, improvement, augmentation

"Uranium <b>enrichment</b> is a critical step in producing nuclear fuel."

Made (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

Synonyms: aggravated, worsened, intensified

"His arrogant remarks only <b>exacerbated</b> the already tense situation."

In a conspicuously or obviously offensive manner.

Synonyms: blatantly, glaringly, egregiously

"The company <b>flagrantly</b> disregarded environmental regulations."

Caught fire or caused to catch fire; provoked or kindled (a passion or conflict).

Synonyms: sparked, triggered, provoked

"The controversial decision <b>ignited</b> a heated debate among the public."

In a permanent, essential, or characteristic way.

Synonyms: fundamentally, intrinsically, innately

"All humans are <b>inherently</b> capable of kindness and compassion."

Require (something) to be done; officially assign (someone) to a particular role or task.

Synonyms: require, order, decree

"The new law will <b>mandate</b> the use of seatbelts for all passengers."

Become actual fact; happen or be realized.

Synonyms: happen, occur, emerge

"Despite months of planning, the proposed project failed to <b>materialize</b>."

The action of excluding or leaving out someone or something.

Synonyms: exclusion, gap, absence

"The accidental <b>omission</b> of her name from the list caused a lot of inconvenience."

Mainly; for the most part.

Synonyms: primarily, chiefly, largely

"The audience was <b>predominantly</b> composed of young students."

A thing that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist.

Synonyms: requirements, conditions, necessities

"Good communication skills are often a <b>prerequisite</b> for leadership roles."

The authority to represent someone else, especially in voting; a person authorized to act on behalf of another.

Synonyms: representative, agent, deputy

"The smaller nation became a <b>proxy</b> in the conflict between two superpowers."

Say or do something to remove the doubts and fears of (someone).

Synonyms: comfort, console, encourage

"The doctor tried to <b>reassure</b> the patient that the procedure was safe."

Willing to consider or accept new suggestions and ideas.

Synonyms: open-minded, amenable, responsive

"The manager was <b>receptive</b> to new ideas from his team members."

Firm determination to do something.

Synonyms: determination, resolution, willpower

"Her unwavering <b>resolve</b> helped her overcome many challenges."

Only just; almost not.

Synonyms: hardly, barely, rarely

"There was <b>scarcely</b> enough food to feed everyone at the party."

Critical observation or examination.

Synonyms: examination, inspection, analysis

"The government's new policy came under intense public <b>scrutiny</b>."

Be the leader of (an attack or movement).

Synonyms: leading, pioneering, heading

"She is currently <b>spearheading</b> a new research project."

A condition or requirement that is specified or demanded as part of an agreement.

Synonyms: condition, provision, clause

"One key <b>stipulation</b> of the contract was a strict confidentiality clause."

The inability to decide between different opinions or courses of action; indecision.

Synonyms: hesitation, indecision, faltering

"The leader's constant <b>vacillation</b> eroded the public's trust."

Accustom (an infant or other young mammal) to food other than its mother's milk; accustom (someone) to an anodyne or a luxury.

Synonyms: detach, discourage, dissuade

"The country is trying to <b>wean</b> itself off its dependence on imported oil."