sabotage verbADV. deliberately They accused him of deliberately sabotaging the peace talks.VERB + SABOTAGE attempt to, try to They had tried to sabotage our plans.safeguard verbADV. fully, properly | adequately, satisfactorily This legislation does notadequately safeguard the rights of consumers.VERB + SAFEGUARD help (to) | be designed to | take steps toPREP. against We must take steps to safeguard our environment against thesethreats. | from to safeguard the young plants from frostsanction verbADV. officially | legally, socially Slavery was once socially sanctioned. | tacitly Hehad tacitly sanctioned repression against the opposition parties.VERB + SANCTION refuse tosaunter verbADV. casually, slowly | along, back, in, out, over She sauntered in fifteen minuteslate.PREP. along, into, out of, through, etc. He sauntered casually through the door.PHRASES come sauntering He came sauntering over to meet us.scar verb (often be scarred)ADV. badly, deeply, hideously His face was badly scarred by the fire. |emotionally, mentally, physically, psychologically She was both physically andmentally scarred by the accident. | permanentlyPREP. with (figurative) Their minds were scarred with bitterness.PHRASES be scarred for life, leave sb scarred The accident left him permanentlyscarred.scare verbADV. really | easily He doesn't scare easily.VERB + SCARE try toPREP. into They're just trying to scare us into letting out the secret. | with You don'tscare me with your threats!PHRASES scare sb silly/stiff/to death (informal) The very thought of flying scaresme stiff. | scare the hell/life/living daylights out of sb (informal) You scared thelife out of me, hiding like that! | scare the pants off sb (informal)schedule verbADV. currently | originally The meeting was originally scheduled for March 12th. |provisionally, tentativelyPREP. for The film is scheduled for release next month.PHRASES be scheduled to begin/start/take place The Grand Prix is scheduled totake place on July 4th.scold verbADV. gently | severelyPREP. for Rose scolded the child gently for her bad behaviour.scowl verbADV. darkly, fiercely, heavily She scowled darkly and muttered something underher breath. | downPREP. at His eyes scowled down at her.scramble verbADV. frantically They scrambled frantically over the piles of debris. | awkwardly |away, backVERB + SCRAMBLE manage toPREP. down, into, out of, over, through, up, etc. She managed to scramble overthe wall.PHRASES scramble to your feet He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. | scramble toSafetyscrape verbADV. carefully, gently She carefully scraped away the top layer of paint. | away,back, off I scraped the dirt off.PREP. against He scraped the car against the garage wall. | along Patrick lifted thegate to prevent it scraping along the ground. | from Her hair was scraped back fromher face. | on I scraped my elbow on the wall as I cycled past. | with I scraped thecarrots with a knife.PHRASES scrape sth clean The wood had been scraped clean. PHRASAL VERBSscrape throughADV. (only) just He only just scraped through his exams.VERB + SCRAPE manage to The Conservatives managed to scrape through to anelection victory.scratch verbADV. badly The table had been badly scratched.PREP. at He kept scratching at his nose. | on I scratched my arm on a rose bush. |with She scratched his face with her nails.screen verb1 hide sthADV. well | completely | partly | effectively | neatly The shed is neatly screenedby a hedge. | off One part of the room was screened off.PREP. from The building is completely screened from the road by high bushes.2 check sb/sth for faults/illnessesADV. carefully All foster parents are carefully screened.PREP. for All pregnant women are to be screened for the infection.3 show sth on television/in a cinemaADV. live The programme will be screened live on BBC1.scribble verbADV. furiously The students were all scribbling away furiously. | away, downscrub verbADV. thoroughly | away, down, outPREP. at She scrubbed at the child's face with a tissue. | from, off He scrubbed theblood from his shoes.PHRASES freshly scrubbed his freshly scrubbed face | scrub sth clean The tablehad been scrubbed clean.scrutinize verbADV. carefully, closely, minutely | fully, thoroughlyPREP. for All parts of the aircraft are closely scrutinized for signs of wear or damage.seal verb1 close sthADV. carefully, firmly, properly, tightly, well The containers must be carefullysealed so that no air can get in. | completely, totally The unit is completely sealed. |virtually | effectively | hermetically a hermetically sealed container | off, upPREP. from The nuclear plant would be effectively sealed off from the world. | withHe sealed the bag tightly with sticky tape.2 show formally that sth is agreedADV. formallyPHRASES be signed and sealed The contracts are already signed and sealed.search verbADV. thoroughly The area has been thoroughly searched. | carefully, diligently,painstakingly | systematically | actively actively searching for something to keepthe conversation going | eagerly | desperately, frantically | in vain | aimlesslyFor the rest of the morning he searched aimlessly through the town. | constantly |around/round I searched around for a thick stick.PREP. among We searched among the rocks for crabs. | for Police are still searchingfor the missing child. | in He searched in his pocket and found a few coins. | throughsearching through a drawerPHRASES search far and wide, search sth from top to bottom We searched thehouse from top to bottom. | search high and low I have searched high and low andcannot find them.season verbADV. wellPREP. with Season the meat well with salt and pepper.PHRASES highly seasoned highly seasoned foodseek verbADV. actively people who are unemployed and actively seeking work | avidly,eagerly, keenly | desperately, urgently He was desperately seeking a way to seeher again. | successfully | in vain, unsuccessfully, vainlyPREP. for They sought in vain for somewhere to shelter.seep verbADV. gradually, slowly | away, out, through The power had gradually seepedaway.VERB + SEEP begin toPREP. from Blood was seeping slowly from the wound. | into, out of Water wasseeping out of the tank. | through The damp seeped through her thin shoes.seethe verbADV. inwardly, privately Inwardly she was seething, and vowed to get her ownback. | quietly, silentlyPREP. at She was seething at the insult. | with He clenched his fists, seething withanger.segregate verbADV. strictlyPREP. according to, by Jobs were strictly segregated by gender. | from The womenwere segregated from the male workers in the factory. | into The common room wassegregated into smoking and non-smoking areas.PHRASES highly segregated Women's work has always been highly segregated. |racially/socially segregatedseize verb1 take hold of sb/sth suddenly and firmlyADV. immediately, suddenly He was immediately seized and thrown into prison.PREP. by She seized him by the arm. | from He seized the book from her hand.PHRASES seize hold of sb/sth The wrestlers try to seize hold of each other.2 take sthADV. immediately, promptly She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gaveher. | eagerly, gratefullyVERB + SEIZE be quick to, be ready to He was quick to seize on this idea. | bedetermined to | attempt to, try to | fail to He had failed to seize his chance.PREP. on/upon The rumours were eagerly seized on by the local press.PHRASES an attempt to seize sthsense verbADV. clearly, strongly I sensed quite strongly that she was angry with me. | dimly,vaguely | just Maybe she could just sense what I needed. | intuitivelyseparate verb1 move/keep people/things apartADV. completely, totally | carefully | clearly These two branches of the sciencehave now become clearly separated. | effectively | easily, readily One cannoteasily separate moral, social and political issues. | formally | legally | physically,spatially | out A magnet separates out scrap iron from the rubbish.VERB + SEPARATE attempt to, try to | be difficult to, be hard to, be impossible toIt was impossible to separate the rival fans.PREP. from separating the boys from the girls | into I separated the documents intotwo piles.PHRASES sharply separated The disciplines of science and engineering are notalways sharply separated. | widely separated The two groups became widelyseparated.2 stop living togetherADV. legallyVERB + SEPARATE decide toPREP. from She is separated from her husband.serve verb1 give sb food or drinkADV. immediately Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve immediately.VERB + SERVE be ready to Cover and chill the salad until ready to serve.PREP. to They served a wonderful meal to more than 50 delegates. | with Thedelegates were served with a wonderful meal. Serve the lamb with new potatoes andgreen beans.PHRASES serve sth chilled/cold/hot The quiche can be served hot or cold.2 workADV. faithfully, loyally, well She served the family faithfully for many years (= as aservant).VERB + SERVE continue toPREP. as I shall continue to serve as a trustee. | in She served in the medical corps. |under He served under John Major in the early 1990s.settle verb1 end an argumentADV. amicably, peacefully Hopes of settling the conflict peacefully are fading. |satisfactorily The matter has not yet been satisfactorily settled. | eventually,finally | informally, out of court The company has agreed to settle out of court (=come to an agreement without going to court).VERB + SETTLE attempt to, try to | agree toPREP. with After six months, the company finally settled with the unions.PHRASES an attempt to settle sthshape verbADV. profoundly Memory can be profoundly shaped by subsequent experience. |largely | actively, deliberately actively shaping the history of their countryVERB + SHAPE help (to)share verbADV. fully Personal experience of childbirth gives a dimension of knowledge thatothers cannot fully share. | equally We shared the money equally between the threeof us. | outVERB + SHARE want to | be prepared to, be willing to experienced teachers willingto share their expertise with others | be reluctant to | be forced to, have to |agree to | refuse to | be entitled to Each partner is entitled to share in the profitsof the business. | let sb She wished he would let her share his pain.PREP. among How do you share out three cakes among four people? | betweenResponsibility is shared between parents and teachers. | in He shared in ourenthusiasm for rowing. | with She had to share a bedroom with her sister.PHRASES widely shared These ideas are widely shared in the community.shatter verb1 break into very small piecesADV. completelyPHRASES shatter (sth) into pieces The mirror shattered into a thousand pieces.2 destroy sth completelyADV. completely an event that completely shattered her life | abruptly, brutally,rudely, suddenly The moment was abruptly shattered by the sound of Mia's loudvoice.shelve verb1 put sth to one side and leave it for a whileADV. quietly Plans to expand the company have had to be quietly shelved.VERB + SHELVE be forced to, have to2 slopeADV. gently, steeply The ground shelves quite steeply here. | down The beachshelves gently down to the sea.PREP. to, towardsshield verbADV. partially, partly | carefully He carefully shielded the flame with his cuppedhand.VERB + SHIELD try to trying to shield the children from the full horrors of the warPREP. against She raised her hand to shield her eyes against the sun. | from newlaws to shield companies from foreign competition | with He shielded her with hisbody.shift verb1 moveADV. slightly Julie shifted her position slightly and smiled. | impatiently,restlessly, uncomfortably, uneasily She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. |awayPREP. from She shifted her gaze away from the group of tourists. | onto He shiftedhis weight onto his left foot. | to Her eyes shifted to his face.PHRASES shift from foot to foot2 changeADV. dramatically, markedly The emphasis has shifted markedly in recent years. |slightly | effectively | simply We cannot simply shift the responsibility ontosomeone else. | gradually, slowly | rapidly | suddenly | constantly,continually constantly shifting alliancesVERB + SHIFT attempt to, try to trying to shift the blame onto the government | tendto | begin toPREP. (away) from I felt the advantage had suddenly shifted away from us. | onto,to His sympathies rapidly shifted to the side of the workers. | towards Thesechanges will shift the balance in higher education more towards science subjects.shine verbADV. brightly, brilliantly The sun was shining brightly. | faintly | briefly |steadily | warmly | down, in, out Sunlight shone in through the window.VERB + SHINE seem to (figurative) She seemed to shine with an inner radiance. |make sth You've really made that floor shine!PREP. at The watchman shone his torch at us. | from (figurative) Love and prideshone from her eyes. | in The water was shining faintly in the moonlight. | like Thedark wood shone like glass. | on/upon The light shone on his face. | with(figurative) His dark eyes shone with excitement.shiver verbADV. convulsively, uncontrollably, violently | a little, slightly | involuntarilyShe shivered involuntarily as he approached her.VERB + SHIVER begin to, start to | make sb His cruel and callous comments mademe shiver.PREP. at He shivered at the thought of it. | with I was shivering with cold.shock verbADV. deeply, really The news had shocked her deeply. | easily He had old-fashionedideas and was easily shocked.PREP. into The news shocked her into action.shorten verbADV. considerably, dramatically, significantly The course has now beenshortened considerably.PREP. by His driving ban has been shortened by a year. | from, to The waiting timehas been shortened dramatically from eight weeks to just one week.shoulder verb1 accept the responsibility for sthVERB + SHOULDER have to, must She had to shoulder the burden of childcare. | bewilling/unwilling to He was unwilling to shoulder this responsibility alone.2 push sb/sth with your shoulderADV. roughly We were shouldered roughly out of the way. | aside, out of the wayPHRASES shoulder your way past/through sb/sth She shouldered her waythrough the crowd.shout verbADV. aloud I'm done for! he shouted aloud. | loudly | hoarsely | hysterically,wildly | angrily, furiously | almost He found he was almost shouting. | suddenly| back If they shout at you, shout back! | outVERB + SHOUT want to | try to | open your mouth to He opened his mouth to shout,but no sound came out. | begin to, start to | hear sb I could hear him shoutingdown the telephone.PREP. about What were they shouting about? | above We had to shout above thenoise of the engines. | after We shouted after him, but he couldn't hear us. | at There'sno need to shout at me! | for We shouted for help. | to He shouted to the lorry driverto stop.shove verbADV. hard, roughly I shoved hard until the door opened. | aside, away, back Heshoved me roughly aside.PREP. down, in She shoved the letter in a drawer. | into, out of, through A leafletwas shoved through my letter box.PHRASES push and shove The crowd was pushing and shoving to get a better view. |shove your way We shoved our way to the bar.shred verbADV. finely Shred the lettuce leaves finely.shriek verbADV. aloud | all but, almost He all but shrieked when he saw her.VERB + SHRIEK hear sbPREP. at Stop shrieking at me! | in She shrieked in terror. | with The audienceshrieked with laughter.shrink verb1 become smallerADV. dramatically | a little, slightly | further | fast, rapidly competing in amarket that is shrinking fast | gradually, slowly | steadilyPREP. by Their profits shrank by 4% last year. | from, to Their share of the markethas shrunk from 14% to 5%.PHRASES shrink in size Households have been shrinking in size but increasing innumber.2 move awayADV. a little He shrank a little at the sight of the blood. | away, backVERB + SHRINK try toPREP. against He shrank back against the wall. | in She shrank back in terror. | intoI shrank back into the shadows. | from She shrank from his touch.shrug verbADV. lightly, slightly | carelessly, dismissively, indifferently, negligently,nonchalantly She shrugged nonchalantly and turned away. | impatiently,irritably | apologetically | helplessly, ruefully He shrugged helplessly and saidnothing. | expressively | just, merely, only, simply He merely shrugged hisshoulders in reply. PHRASAL VERBS shrug sth offVERB + SHRUG be able to, can/could, try to The team have been able to shrug offtheir recent failures and perform well. | try toshudder verbADV. convulsively, uncontrollably, violently | slightly | involuntarily Sheshuddered involuntarily as he approached her. | inwardlyVERB + SHUDDER make sb The sight of the dead body made them shudder.PREP. at She shuddered at the memory of school exams. | through A deep sighshuddered through her body. | with His whole body shuddered with fury.shuffle verb1 walk by sliding your feet alongADV. awkwardly, slowly Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. | along, away,forward, out, off, over The queue shuffled slowly forward.PREP. across, down, into, out of, towards, etc.2 move your body/feet aroundADV. nervously, uncomfortably, uneasily She shuffled nervously on the bench. |about, around The boys shuffled around uncomfortably.PHRASES shuffle in your chair/seatshyness nounADJ. natural | extreme, intense, paralysingVERB + SHYNESS be overcome with, have, suffer from He was suddenly overcomewith shyness. | forget, get over, lose, overcome She had to work very hard toovercome her paralysing shyness. She completely forgot her shyness in herfascination with what he was saying. | cureSHYNESS + VERB disappear, vanishsigh verbADV. deeply, heavily She sighed heavily and sat down. | softly | audibly, gustily,loudly, noisily | inwardly | a little | contentedly, happily She looked at her sonand sighed happily. | impatiently | resignedly | wearily He sighed wearily as helooked at the pile of work.PREP. in He sighed in exasperation. | with We sighed with relief when the noisestopped.sign verbADV. duly One copy of this letter should be duly signed and returned to us. | formally| personally a first edition of the book, personally signed by the authorVERB + SIGN be required to, have to This is the contract you will be required to sign.| ask sb to, persuade sb to | agree to | refuse toPREP. for The postman asked me to sign for the parcel.signal verb1 move your arms to give a signalADV. frantically, wildly She signalled frantically to us.PREP. for He raised his hand and signalled for the waiter. | to She signalled to the busdriver to stop.2 show/mark sthADV. clearly These changes clearly signal the end of the welfare state as we know it. |effectively | not necessarily A change of mind in one instance does not necessarilysignal a change in overall policy.silence verbADV. completely | effectively Criticism has now been effectively silenced. | quickly| abruptly, instantly Her scream was abruptly silenced.VERB + SILENCE try to | manage to | fail to Even these improvements to the servicefailed to silence a grumbling chorus of complaints.PREP. with She silenced him with a glare.simmer verbADV. gently, slowly Allow the soup to simmer gently for ten minutes. | quietly(figurative) She was still quietly simmering from her row with Nathan.VERB + SIMMER allow sth toPREP. in a mixture of vegetables simmered in yogurtsimplify verbADV. considerably, greatly The whole process has now been greatly simplified. |drastically, grossly He presents the theory in a grossly simplified form. | slightlyVERB + SIMPLIFY try toPHRASES highly simplified This is a highly simplified view of the economy.simulate verbADV. closely The device simulates conditions in space quite closely.VERB + SIMULATE be designed to, be used to Models are used to simulate theworkings of a real-life system. | try tosink verb1 in water/mud, etc.ADV. slowly | fast Fergus was in waist-deep and sinking fast. | deep | down Shesank down into the soft soil.VERB + SINK begin to, start toPREP. below/beneath We watched the boat sink beneath the waves. | into Our feetsank deep into the soft sand as we walked. | (up) to He sank up to his knees in themud.sip verbADV. slowly | thoughtfully | idly She sat in the warm sun, idly sipping champagne.| appreciatively, gratefully He sipped the warm milk appreciatively.VERB + SIP pause to She paused to sip her tea.PREP. at He sipped at his beer thoughtfully. | from She sipped from her glass ofwater.sit verb1 on a chair, etc.ADV. still Just sit still! | quietly He would sit quietly and watch what was happening.| comfortably | in silence We sat in silence for a few moments. | cross-legged,with your legs crossed The children sat cross-legged on the floor. She was sittingin her favourite chair with her legs crossed. | (bolt) upright He sat bolt upright,hands folded in front of him. | demurely, primly She sat demurely on the edge ofher chair. | back, down | side by side, togetherVERB + SIT let sb Surely someone would stand up and let her sit down? | gesture for/to sb to, motion (for/to) sb to He motioned the young officer to sit down.PREP. astride sitting astride a horse | at He was sitting at his desk. | beside She wentand sat beside him. | in He sat back in his chair and started to read. | on Can I sit onthis chair? | opposite They sat opposite each other.2 seem right/not seem rightADV. comfortably, easily, well | uneasilyPREP. with His views did not sit comfortably with the management line.skim verbADV. barely (figurative) This report has barely skimmed the surface of the subject. |low A bird skimmed low over the heather.PREP. across/over We skimmed across the water in a small sailing boat.slacken verbADV. a little, slightly His grip slackened a little and she pulled away. | off Slackenoff the ropes. Growth in the economy was beginning to slacken off.slam verbADV. hard She ran out of the room and slammed the door as hard as she could. |back, down He said goodbye and slammed the phone down.VERB + SLAM hear sthPREP. against Kath's heart slammed against her ribs. | behind I heard the door slambehind him. | into The car skidded and slammed into a tree.PHRASES slam (sth) shut He slammed the lid shut.slap verbADV. hard | gently, lightly | away She slapped his hand away.VERB + SLAP want to I wanted to slap his face.PREP. across The officer slapped him hard across the face. | on She slapped the boyon the leg.slash verbADV. wildlyPREP. at, through He slashed through the rope. | with He slashed wildly at me witha knife.slaughter verb1 kill an animalADV. humanely The animals are all humanely slaughtered. | ritually | illegallyelephants illegally slaughtered by poachersPREP. for Thousands of birds were slaughtered for their feathers.2 kill a large number of peopleADV. brutally, cruelly Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered.slide verbADV. slowly Tears slid slowly down his pale cheek. | quickly | easily | smoothly avehicle that will slide smoothly across snow | gently | gracefully | noiselessly,quietly, silently The moon slid silently behind a cloud. | imperceptibly |helplessly We slid helplessly down the slope. | away, back, backwards, down,forward, forwards, in, out, sideways The drawers slide in and out easily.(figurative) The eyes slid away from his own in embarrassment.VERB + SLIDE begin to The melting snow began to slide from the sloping roofs.PREP. across, along, down, from, into, off, onto, out of, over, to, up, etc. Shetook the note and slid it quickly into her pocket. He slid off the couch and walked overto me.PHRASES slide open The lift doors slid open.sling verbADV. loosely | carelessly, casually His jacket was carelessly slung over oneshoulder.PREP. across, around/round, from, in, on, over, etc.slither verbADV. silently A snake was slithering silently towards us. | helplessly He slitheredhelplessly down the slope. | away The snake slithered away.PREP. across, along, down, on, over, to, etc. Her knees gave way and sheslithered to the floor.slope verbADV. steeply The ground slopes away steeply at the back of the house. | gently,slightly | away, down, downwards, up, upwardsPREP. to The field slopes down to a small river. | towardsslot verbADV. easily, neatly, simply | together The panels slot together to make a compostbin.PREP. between, in, into He slotted the magazines neatly into the rack.PHRASES slot (sth) into place All the pieces of the puzzle now slotted into place.slow verbADV. considerably, markedly, noticeably, sharply, significantly Sales haveslowed down quite markedly. | barely, hardly The roadblocks hardly slowed themat all. | a bit, a little, slightly | gradually | deliberately She very deliberatelyslowed her steps. | down, upVERB + SLOW begin to | try to Rachel tried to slow her breathing. | be expected toEconomic growth is expected to slow.PHRASES slow to a crawl/walk/snail's pace, slow to a halt/stop The two of themhad slowed almost to a stop.slumber verbADV. deeply | peacefully The child slumbered peacefully in her arms. | fitfullyslump verb1 decrease suddenlyADV. badly, disastrously, dramatically, heavily Oil prices have slumped quitebadly in recent months.PREP. by Profits slumped by 70 per cent. | from, to Shares in the company slumpedfrom 2.75 to 1.54.2 fall/sit down suddenly and heavilyADV. a little | dejectedly | forward sitting with her head slumped forward | back,downPREP. against He slumped against the wall. | in She slumped back in her seat. | intoHe slumped down into a chair. | over She slumped dejectedly over the wheel.PHRASES be found slumped He was found slumped in a pool of blood by securityguards. | lie/sit slumped smack verbADV. hard I'll smack you very hard if you do that again!PREP. on She smacked the boy on his leg. PHRASAL VERBS smack of sthADV. strongly, too much Today's announcement smacks strongly of a governmentcover-up. | a littlesmear verbADV. liberally She smeared the cream liberally on her face.PREP. across, on, (all) over, with The child had smeared jam all over her face.PHRASES heavily smeared with Their faces were heavily smeared with mud.smell verb1 notice/identify sth by using your noseADV. properly, well I had a streaming cold, so I could not smell properly. | almostSnow fell so that you could almost smell the cold.VERB + SMELL can/could2 have a particular smellADV. strongly His clothes smelled strongly of fish. | faintly, slightly, vaguely Hesmelled faintly of sweat. | deliciously, pleasantly, sweetlyPREP. like It smells like rotten meat! | of The kitchen smelled sweetly of herbs andfruit.smile verbADV. broadly, widely She put down her tools and smiled broadly. | faintly,slightly, thinly, wanly, weakly He looked at the mess and smiled weakly. |dazzlingly, happily, radiantly, warmly Lawrence nodded, smiling happily. |charmingly, gently, sweetly, winningly | benignly, kindly, politely | shyly |encouragingly, indulgently, reassuringly The doctor smiled reassuringly. |apologetically, sheepishly | ruefully, wryly Molly smiled rather wryly and saidnothing. | archly, enigmatically | conspiratorially | sadly | grimly |humourlessly, mirthlessly | crookedly, lopsidedly | back He smiled at her,and she smiled back.VERB + SMILE try to | manage to | make sb The memory still made her smile.PREP. at He turned and smiled at me. | with She smiled with pleasure.PHRASES smile from ear to ear, smile to yourself She smiled to herself, picturinghow surprised her mother would be to see her.smug adj.VERBS appear, be, feel, look, seem, sound | become, get Now don't get smugjust because you've won a couple of games.ADV. incredibly, very the incredibly smug expression on his face | almost | a bit, alittle, quite, rather, slightlyPREP. about What are you looking so smug about?snap verb1 break suddenly with a sharp noiseADV. suddenly The branch suddenly snapped.PHRASES snap (sth) in half/two She picked up the pencil and snapped it in two.2 move (sth) quickly with a sharp noisePHRASES snap (sth) open/shut She snapped the lid shut. | snap (sth) togetherThe plastic pieces snap together to make a replica of a dinosaur.3 speak in a quick angry wayADV. angrily, impatiently, irritably, sarcastically, sharply | back How should Iknow? Zen snapped back.PREP. at He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children.4 lose controlADV. finally My patience finally snapped.snarl verbADV. savagely, viciously He snarled savagely at her. | almostPREP. at A guard dog snarled at us as we walked by.snatch verbADV. almost | quickly | away, up She leapt to her feet, snatching up her bag.VERB + SNATCH try toPREP. at He snatched at her arm as she walked past. | from She almost snatched theletter from my hand.sneeze verbADV. loudly Someone sneezed loudly at the back of the hall.VERB + SNEEZE make sb The smoke reached her and made her sneeze.sniff verbADV. loudly She wiped her eyes and sniffed loudly. | deeply | a little | carefully,delicately | appreciatively He sniffed appreciatively. Smells delicious. What is it?| disapprovingly, disdainfully, disparagingly | suspiciously | back Thewoman sniffed back her tears.PREP. at The dog sniffed at his shoes.snore verbADV. loudly, noisily | gently, lightly, quietly, softly She was asleep in a chair andsnoring gently. | contentedly He began to snore contentedly.VERB + SNORE begin to, start tosnort verbADV. loudly | softly | angrily, contemptuously, derisively, impatiently,indignantly He snorted indignantly and walked away.PREP. in He snorted in disgust. | with Her friends snorted with laughter.snub verbADV. deliberately | publicly | rudelyPHRASES feel snubbed He was not invited to the party, and felt snubbed.snuggle verbADV. close She slipped her arm through his and snuggled close. | down, up Isnuggled down in my sleeping bag.PREP. against Claudia snuggled against him. | into She snuggled into him and closedher eyes.soak verbADV. completely, thoroughly | overnight | off, out Place the jar in warm water tosoak the label off.VERB + SOAK leave sth to I've left the clothes to soak overnight.PREP. in Soak the clothes in cold water. | into Water dripped off the table and soakedinto the carpet. | through The rain had soaked through every layer of his clothing. |with He soaked the cloth with petrol.soar verb1 increase very fastADV. dramatically Profits have soared dramatically in recent months.VERB + SOAR be expected to, be set to Borrowing is set to soar to an astonishing 60billion.PREP. by Retail sales soared by 10% in the twelve months to November. | from, toInflation has soared from 5% to 15%.PHRASES send sth soaring The fuel shortage sent prices soaring.2 fly high in the airADV. high | overhead A buzzard soared high overhead.PREP. above, over an eagle soaring high above themsob verbADV. aloud | loudly | quietly, silently | hysterically, uncontrollably, wildly |almost He was pleading, almost sobbing, first silently and then aloud.VERB + SOB begin to, start to He began to sob uncontrollably. | hear sb I heard achild sobbing loudly.PREP. with She was sobbing with pain and fear.PHRASES sob your heart outsolicit verbADV. actively She had actively solicited funds for her election campaign.PREP. for Local companies were solicited for money. | from She solicited supportfrom other teachers.solve verbADV. completely The mystery has not yet been completely solved. | largely | half,partially, partly | hardly | not necessarily Being with peers and friends does notnecessarily solve this feeling of loneliness. | adequately, satisfactorily Thisquestion has never been satisfactorily solved. | effectively | convincingly | easily,readily | quickly | elegantly, neatly | magically, somehow | eventually,finally | neverVERB + SOLVE attempt to, try to | help (to), help sb (to) We were given clues tohelp us solve the puzzle. | be designed to a scheme designed to solve the housingproblem | fail to | be difficult toPREP. by We hope the difficulty can be solved by getting the two sides together todiscuss the issues. | with The problem cannot be solved with spending cuts alone.PHRASES an attempt to solve sth