be
Other forms: was; is; are; were; been; being; am
To be is to exist, or to take place. As Hamlet best put it: "To be or not to be, that is the question."
The verb be is one of the most frequently used words in English, and it often takes the form of am, are, were, or was. When you make plans to meet someone later, you could say, "I'll be on the steps in front of the library," and when you talk about your goals, you might confess, "I want to be a movie star." It's a verb with a complicated history, stemming mainly from the Old English bēon, "be, exist, or happen."
Definitions of be
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have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)“John is rich”“This is not a good answer”
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types:
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look
have a certain outward or facial expression
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hurt, suffer
feel pain or be in pain
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be well
be healthy; feel good
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suffer
feel unwell or uncomfortable
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feel
be conscious of a physical, mental, or emotional state
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remain, rest, stay
stay the same; remain in a certain state
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continue
exist over a prolonged period of time
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coruscate, scintillate, sparkle
be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity
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bedevil, befuddle, confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, fuddle, throw
be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
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rank
take or have a position relative to others
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point
be positionable in a specified manner
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need, require, want
have need of
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compact, pack
have the property of being packable or of compacting easily
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rest
not move; be in a resting position
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cut
allow incision or separation
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boil, seethe
be in an agitated emotional state
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moon about, moon around, mope
be apathetic, gloomy, or dazed
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appear, look, seem
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
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appear, seem
seem to be true, probable, or apparent
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owe
be in debt
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belong
be owned by; be in the possession of
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cover
be sufficient to meet, defray, or offset the charge or cost of
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represent
be representative or typical for
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account
be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition, supply, or disposal of something
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cut across
be contrary to ordinary procedure or limitations
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begin, start
have a beginning characterized in some specified way
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begin
have a beginning, of a temporal event
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stand
be in some specified state or condition
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define, delimit, delimitate, delineate, specify
determine the essential quality of
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go
be or continue to be in a certain condition
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add up, make sense
be reasonable or logical or comprehensible
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comprise, consist
be composed of
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prove, turn out, turn up
be shown or be found to be
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account for
be the reason or explanation for
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remain
be left; of persons, questions, problems, results, evidence, etc.
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adhere, stand by, stick, stick by
be loyal to
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footle, hang around, lallygag, linger, loaf, loiter, lollygag, lounge, lurk, mess about, mill about, mill around, tarry
be about
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add up, amount, come, number, total
add up in number or quantity
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count, matter, weigh
have weight; have import, carry weight
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rate
be worthy of or have a certain rating
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deserve, merit
be worthy or deserving
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buy
be worth or be capable of buying
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shine
be clear and obvious
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fall
be due
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depend
be contingent upon (something that is elided)
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underlie
be or form the base for
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stink
be extremely bad in quality or in one's performance
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suck
be inadequate or objectionable
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delimit, subtend
be opposite to; of angles and sides, in geometry
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body forth, embody, incarnate, substantiate
represent in bodily form
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contain, hold, take
be capable of holding or containing
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cost
be priced at
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measure
have certain dimensions
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buzz, hum, seethe
be noisy with activity
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abound
be abundant or plentiful; exist in large quantities
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disaccord, disagree, discord
be different from one another
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gape, yaw, yawn
be wide open
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be given, incline, lean, run, tend
have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined
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go, run
have a particular form
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enter, figure
be or play a part of or in
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press
be urgent
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rage
be violent; as of fires and storms
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interrelate, relate
be in a relationship with
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rut
be in a state of sexual excitement; of male mammals
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stagnate
cease to flow; stand without moving
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stagnate
stand still
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come in handy
be useful for a certain purpose
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squat
be close to the earth, or be disproportionately wide
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hoodoo
bring bad luck; be a source of misfortune
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impend
be imminent or about to happen
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range, run
change or be different within limits
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continue, remain, stay, stay on
continue in a place, position, or situation
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sell
be sold at a certain price or in a certain way
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translate
be translatable, or be translatable in a certain way
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head, head up
be the first or leading member of (a group) and excel
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come in for
be subject to or the object of
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compare
be comparable
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come, fall
come under, be classified or included
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encounter, run into
be beset by
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gravitate
be attracted to
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pay
be worth it
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diverge
have no limits as a mathematical series
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shine
be distinguished or eminent
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iridesce
be iridescent
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lie
be and remain in a particular state or condition
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stand
occupy a place or location, also metaphorically
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hang
be menacing, burdensome, or oppressive
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litter
strew
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suit
be agreeable or acceptable
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end, terminate
be the end of; be the last or concluding part of
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fit
conform to some shape or size
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lend
have certain characteristics of qualities for something; be open or vulnerable to
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let go
be relaxed
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belong
be rightly classified in a class or category
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belong
be suitable or acceptable
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curve, twist, wind
extend in curves and turns
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jumble, mingle
be all mixed up or jumbled together
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promise
give grounds for expectations
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accept, take
be designed to hold or take
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clean
be cleanable
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draw
allow a draft
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wash
be capable of being washed
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balance
be in equilibrium
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come, hail
be a native of
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act
be suitable for theatrical performance
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test
show a certain characteristic when tested
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seem
appear to exist
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answer
be liable or accountable
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beat
be superior
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hold
have as a major characteristic
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count
have a certain value or carry a certain weight
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contain
be divisible by
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connect
be scheduled so as to provide continuing service, as in transportation
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sell
be responsible for the sale of
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sell
be approved of or gain acceptance
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kill
be fatal
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make
be suitable for
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adorn, beautify, deck, decorate, embellish, grace
be beautiful to look at
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consist
have its essential character; be comprised or contained in; be embodied in
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work
behave in a certain way when handled
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lubricate
have lubricating properties
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breathe
allow the passage of air through
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trim
be in equilibrium during a flight
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swing
have a certain musical rhythm
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osculate
be intermediate between two taxonomic groups
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retard
be delayed
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transplant
be transplantable
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cohere
have internal elements or parts logically connected so that aesthetic consistency results
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object
be averse to or express disapproval of
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stick
be or become fixed
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recognize
exhibit recognition for (an antigen or a substrate)
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distribute
be mathematically distributive
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put out
be sexually active
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bake, broil
be very hot, due to hot weather or exposure to the sun
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drown, swim
be covered with or submerged in a liquid
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reel, swim
be dizzy or giddy
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belong
be a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (of a group, organization, or place)
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squint
partly close one's eyes, as when hit by direct blinding light
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have
suffer from; be ill with
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choke, gag, strangle, suffocate
struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake
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freeze
be cold
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swelter
be uncomfortably hot
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ail
be ill or unwell
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feel like a million, feel like a million dollars
be in excellent health and spirits
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suffocate
feel uncomfortable for lack of fresh air
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keep out
remain outside
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sit tight
maintain the same position; wait it out
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carry, extend
continue or extend
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demoralise, demoralize
confuse or put into disorder
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amaze, baffle, beat, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, puzzle, stick, stupefy, vex
be a mystery or bewildering to
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work out
be calculated
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come in, come out, place
take a place in a competition; often followed by an ordinal
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come
have a certain priority
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determine
fix in scope; fix the boundaries of
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predicate
make the (grammatical) predicate in a proposition
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famish, hunger, starve
be hungry; go without food
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cry
demand immediate action
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kneel
rest one's weight on one's knees
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stand, stand up
be standing; be upright
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bubble over, overflow, spill over
overflow with a certain feeling
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ferment
be in an agitated or excited state
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sizzle
seethe with deep anger or resentment
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make
appear to begin an activity
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cut
give the appearance or impression of
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feel
produce a certain impression
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pass off
be accepted as something or somebody in a false character or identity
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sound
appear in a certain way
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come across
be perceived in a certain way; make a certain impression
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close
cause a window or an application to disappear on a computer desktop
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instantiate
represent by an instance
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disorient, disorientate
cause to be lost or disoriented
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beam, glow, radiate, shine
have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink
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gleam, glint, glisten, glitter, shine
be shiny, as if wet
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seem
appear to one's own mind or opinion
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agree
be agreeable or suitable
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mortgage
put up as security or collateral
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stay together, stick together
be loyal to one another, especially in times of trouble
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speak for
be a spokesperson for
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tutor
act as a guardian to someone
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redefine
give a new or different definition to
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ensue, result
issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end
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abide, bide, stay
dwell
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lurch, prowl
loiter about, with no apparent aim
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hold over
continue a term of office past the normal period of time
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outnumber
be larger in number
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average, average out
amount to or come to an average, without loss or gain
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press, weigh
to be oppressive or burdensome
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have it coming
deserve (either good or bad)
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die hard, endure, persist, prevail, run
continue to exist
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fit, go
be the right size or shape; fit correctly or as desired
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hang by a hair, hang by a thread
depend on a small thing or be at risk
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jump, jump out, leap out, stand out, stick out
be highly noticeable
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lift, rear, rise
rise up
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loom
come into view indistinctly, often threateningly
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stand
be tall; have a height of; copula
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knock back, put back, set back
cost a certain amount
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stand
be in effect; be or remain in force
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weigh
have a certain weight
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endure, last
persist for a specified period of time
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stand
remain inactive or immobile
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pullulate, swarm, teem
be teeming, be abuzz
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take kindly to
be willing or inclined to accept
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suffer
be given to
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scale
measure by or as if by a scale
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retail
be sold at the retail level
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trade
be traded at a certain price or under certain conditions
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go
be ranked or compare
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feel
be felt or perceived in a certain way
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gravitate
move toward
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opalesce
exhibit a play of colors like that of an opal
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keep, stay fresh
fail to spoil or rot
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tie in
be in connection with something relevant
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circumvolute
wind or turn in volutions, especially in an inward spiral, as of snail
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spiral
form a spiral
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snake
form a snake-like pattern
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brood, bulk large, hover, loom
hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing
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make
add up to
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ornament
be an ornament to
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have an existence, be extant“Is there a God?”
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synonyms:
exist
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types:
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come
be found or available
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preexist
exist beforehand or prior to a certain point in time
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kick about, kick around, knock about
be around; be alive or active
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coexist
exist together
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indwell
to exist as an inner activating spirit, force, or principle
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hold, obtain, prevail
be valid, applicable, or true
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consist, dwell, lie, lie in
originate (in)
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endanger, imperil, jeopardise, jeopardize, menace, peril, threaten
pose a threat to; present a danger to
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flow
be abundantly present
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distribute
be distributed or spread, as in statistical analyses
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dwell, inhabit
exist or be situated within
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coexist
coexist peacefully, as of nations
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co-occur, coincide, cooccur
go with, fall together
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have life, be alive
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form or compose“This money is my only income”“The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance”
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synonyms:
comprise, constitute, make up, represent
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types:
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make
constitute the essence of
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compose
form the substance of
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constitute, form, make
compose or represent
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range, straddle
range or extend over; occupy a certain area
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fall into, fall under
be included in or classified as
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pose, present
introduce
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supplement
serve as a supplement to
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chelate
form a chelate, in chemistry
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spread-eagle
stretch over
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add
constitute an addition
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work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function
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be identical or equivalent to
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synonyms:
equal
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Antonyms:
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differ
be different
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types:
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correspond, equate
be equivalent or parallel, in mathematics
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agree, check, correspond, fit, gibe, jibe, match, tally
be compatible, similar, or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
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correspond, represent, stand for
take the place of or be parallel or equivalent to
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translate
be equivalent in effect
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consist
be consistent in form, tenor, or character; be congruous
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look
accord in appearance with
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answer
match or correspond
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coincide
be the same
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align
be or come into adjustment with
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correlate
bear a reciprocal or mutual relation
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parallel
be parallel to
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duplicate, parallel, twin
duplicate or match
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square
be compatible with
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bear out, corroborate, support, underpin
support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm
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resemble
appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
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conform to, fit, meet
satisfy a condition or restriction
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homologize
be homologous
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befit, beseem, suit
accord or comport with
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accord, agree, comport, concord, consort, fit in, harmonise, harmonize
be harmonious or consistent with
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pattern
form a pattern
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adhere, hew
be compatible or in accordance with
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rhyme, rime
be similar in sound, especially with respect to the last syllable
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differ
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be identical to; be someone or something“The president of the company is John Smith”“This is my house”
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represent, as of a character on stage
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occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere“"Where is my umbrella?" "The toolshed is in the back”“What is behind this behavior?”
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types:
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stretch, stretch along
occupy a large, elongated area
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attend, go to
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
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fill, occupy
occupy the whole of
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dwell, inhabit, live, populate
inhabit or live in; be an inhabitant of
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inhabit
be present in
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keep one's distance, keep one's eyes off, keep one's hands off, stand back, stay away
stay clear of, avoid
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extend to, reach, touch
to extend as far as
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extend, go, lead, pass, run
stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
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go, lead
lead, extend, or afford access
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continue, cover, extend
span an interval of distance, space or time
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extend, poke out, reach out
reach outward in space
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lie
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
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sit
be located or situated somewhere
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sit, sit around
be around, often idly or without specific purpose
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face
be opposite
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straddle
sit or stand astride of
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follow
be next
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center on
have as a center
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lie, rest
have a place in relation to something else
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belong, go
be in the right place or situation
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come
exist or occur in a certain point in a series
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tenant
occupy as a tenant
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neighbor, neighbour
live or be located as a neighbor
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sit in
attend as a visitor
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worship
attend religious services
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lodge in, occupy, reside
live (in a certain place)
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crowd
fill or occupy to the point of overflowing
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take up
take up time or space
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domicile, domiciliate, reside, shack
make one's home in a particular place or community
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people
furnish with people
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overpopulate
cause to have too great a population
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cohabit, live together, shack up
share living quarters; usually said of people who are not married and live together as a couple
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lodge
be a lodger; stay temporarily
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bivouac, camp, camp out, encamp, tent
live in or as if in a tent
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infest
live on or in a host, as of parasites
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infest, invade, overrun
occupy in large numbers or live on a host
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nest
inhabit a nest, usually after building
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board, room
live and take one's meals at or in
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cross, span, sweep, traverse
to cover or extend over an area or time period
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come
extend or reach
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radiate, ray
extend or spread outward from a center or focus or inward towards a center
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sweep
cover the entire range of
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overlap
extend over and cover a part of
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overspread, spread
spread across or over
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ridge
extend in ridges
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constellate, dot, stud
scatter or intersperse like dots or studs
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reach into
run into or up to
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nestle
lie in a sheltered position
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intervene
be placed or located between other things or extend between spaces and events
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top
be at the top of or constitute the top or highest point
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mediate
occupy an intermediate or middle position or form a connecting link or stage between two others
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ride
lie moored or anchored
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lap
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
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focalise, focalize, localise, localize
concentrate on a particular place or spot
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slant
lie obliquely
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precede, predate
come before
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underlie
lie underneath
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cap, crest
lie at the top of
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face, front, look
be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to
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back
be in back of
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flank
be located at the sides of something or somebody
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head
be in the front of or on top of
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command, dominate, overlook, overtop
look down on
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line, run along
be in line with; form a line along
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orient, point
be oriented
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look across, look out on, look out over, overlook
be oriented in a certain direction
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go deep, go far
extend in importance or range
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happen, occur, take place“this was during the visit to my parents' house”“There were two hundred people at his funeral”“There was a lot of noise in the kitchen”
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spend or use time
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to remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted -- used only in infinitive form
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be priced at
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synonyms:
cost
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types:
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knock back, put back, set back
cost a certain amount
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knock back, put back, set back
Pronunciation
US
/bi/
UK
/bi/
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