Questions tagged [word-in-context]

This tag is for questions about a word in a specific context, which a dictionary cannot answer. Please give as much context as possible.

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the lawmakers went on television/radio

Apr 14, 2015 Not "use"; more like "go to (or into, or on to)". For example, "The protesters took to the streets to spread their message"; or "The villagers took to ...
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Making a distinction between phrasal verbs and verbs

A definition of a phrasal verb slip through, is "to fail to be noticed, resulting in problems", and the definition of a verb slip is "to go somewhere or put something somewhere quickly,...
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What does "honor" mean in this sentence?

What does "honor" mean in this sentence? "Mather wanted the service to be available to everyone, so he tried a pay-what-you-can honor system—but everyone claimed to be poor." ...
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Usage of "requirement"

I've got the below question from one of my colleagues from the States. The question is for A's executives sitting on a board of a foreign subsidiary (B) of A, are there supervisory expectations or ...
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Is it correct to say that rail stayed unchanged?

I asked the writer if it's correct to say that rail stayed unchanged since rail can't stay unchanged and only rail shipments can stay unchanged. He told me that "rail" is enough. Readers ...
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What does the following statement mean?

"There's no city on God's green earth that rocks harder than Chicago." Is the statement pertaining to the rich rock culture in chicago, or as in the party scene?
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Contextual sense of the sentence

And it is only early afternoon - if we can make enough smoke, make enough noise till the sun goes down, they'll settle somewhere else perhaps.... And then: Get the kettle going. it's thirsty work, ...
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What the meaning of the bolded text in the following context?

One closes Berger's book newly conscious of the significance of smart questions - but also vaguely uncertain about how exactly to cultivate them in service to worthy change. Some questions are harder ...
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How I can understand the following sentence?

He has a certain way about him. Can i understand in this way–He hold certain manner /behavior which is connected to him– or anything else?
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1 answer
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What is the meaning of the preposition 'in' in this context?

He was killed in car accident. I think here 'in' express 'influenced by' am i right?
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3 answers
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What's the antonym for the word 'support' in the following context? [closed]

What's the antonym for the word 'support' in the following context? I am trying to find studies that support or --X-- this claim.
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Do I use the word "recite" correctly in this context?

As a first point here are some definitions of recite from OALD to say a poem, piece of literature, etc. that you have learned, especially to an audience to say a list or series of things Literally ...
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Hello, do you take / do passport photos?

If you need passport photos, and you go to a photo studio on the road, what verb is the correct to ask with, in the following context? I thought about: Hello, do you take passport photos? Hello, do ...
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1 answer
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Example of the expression in the context

Can someone provide me with the context ( not the biblical one) for the expression ' Poor as Lazarus' because it is a little bit of a challegne for me to find one.
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What does "the money was the chips" mean?

Bank robber Willie Sutton said: Why did I rob banks? Because I enjoyed it. I loved it. I was more alive when I was inside a bank, robbing it, than at any other time in my life. I enjoyed everything ...
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Is "country" replaceable with "nation"? [closed]

In this sentence, The two pie charts illustrates distribution of water usage in a country in the years 1998 and 2008. Can I replace the word country with the word nation?
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Can "whose" be replaced with "with the/a" in this sentence? Which sentence is better?

I wrote a simple Email whose goal was to inform friends and family about the party. Can the "whose" in the sentence be replaced with "with a/the" to make the sentence like: I ...
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2 answers
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Is it necessary to use the word officially at end of the expression?

A new manager was employed in our school, some of the staff occasionally met with him for some reason but not officially. And the new manager did not call for an official meeting. So the staff thought ...
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What does reach across the table mean in this context?

What does reach across the table mean in this context? I'm translating a novel and I came across this sentence which I'm not sure whether it means literally what it says or it has an implied meaning. ...
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Can you use "please" at the end of a question when you request information?

In a previous question, people have noted one can use "please" at the end of questions which serve as a request but not others. However, what about questions which request information? For ...
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Meaning of salutation in terms of job

I am applying for a job in Ernst and Young. On the application there is a question. What is your salutation? What is the meaning of salutation here? Doing Google searches I found that it means the way ...
1 vote
1 answer
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Follow / stick to - appropriate word

Which of "follow" and "stick to" (if either) is the most suitable for this kind context? Are they both correct? Can you think of any other words that would be appropriate as well? ...
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Do you say "get away with <somebody>"?

From Definition of get away with phrasal verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: get away with something ​1. to steal something and escape with it Thieves got away with computer ...
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1 answer
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Can 'ready' play a role of a 'predicate continuation'?

https://www.lexico.com/definition/unmade (of a bed) not having the bedclothes arranged tidily ready for sleeping in. I'm a little confused about the usage of the word 'ready' here. Does it just mean ...
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Can I use "pique" (verb) to mean I am stimulated by something?

Does this sound natural? "This book has piqued me. Now, I love reading." If that doesn't work, why? What's the reason? Could you suggest another verb that works? The definition I got from ...
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2 votes
1 answer
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What is the synonym for "describe in writing"?

How do you say in English to describe something that is in writing? For example, I'm walking in a big office building and I notice that some of the rooms are having a writing above their doors which ...
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1 answer
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Why is this sentence "I want to tell the answers to my friend" wrong?

Is there any problem about this sentence? English is not my first language and I'm still learning it. About this sentence, I think the problem is in structure or semantics, but i have my doubts. That ...
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What is the appropriate word to use in this context?

Sometimes when I'm sitting and doing nothing, I repeat, in my head, various words that I learned in English. I do that in order to instill those words in my head. Which of the following words would be ...
1 vote
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"one" vs "ones", which should I choose and why in this context

So yesterday our class had an English test. In the exam paper, there's a multiple-choice question, which basically gives you a passage with some words left blank and asks you to choose words from the ...
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What is a fake name in cinematography called?

Ronald Weasley is Rupert Grint's ___(name) in the Harry Potter. These are some possibilities I could think of: fake name role name acting name Is there maybe a single word for this?
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Does the word "leniency" fit in this context?

I am writing a request to my manager and have drafted the last two sentences as follows: I trust in god and his judgement, and I trust that virtue lies in his bestowal and his prevention, and that is ...
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cheer up / buck up / perk up /. Which makes more sense in the given context?

Not only did I not get tired, I rather cheered up/perked up/bucked up. Not only did I not tire, rather I was/felt invigorated. Do any of these seem natural to you?
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What does 'glory' mean in this sentence? [closed]

I think it means great beauty, but I am not sure. The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
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2 votes
1 answer
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Is it correct to say 'Something is nostalgic'?

This is a sentence I've tried to make: We used to visit our grandmom in the summer; those halcyon days are so nostalgic. What makes me doubt is that nostalgic often comes with feel, and in this case,...
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8 votes
2 answers
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"They had to move the interview to the new year." What does "the new year" mean here?

When people say "They had to move the interview to the new year.", does that mean the interview will take place in January next year (or even January 1st), or just anytime next year?
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What's the correct definition for the word "proceed" in this setence?

So I encountered this definition for an idiom "go on" but I've got troubles deciphering which is the correct meaning for the word in the definition. This is a TFD def for "go on" 5....
1 vote
1 answer
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What's the meaning of the word owing in this context? (Warning! Spoilers for Dostoevsky's Crime And Punishment)

This is the context from [an English tranlation] (https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/182/crime-and-punishment/3393/part-1-chapter-2/) of Crime And Punishment by Dostoevsky This is what Mr. Luzhin (a suitor) ...
1 vote
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The phrase "wiping out " meaning in this context?

here is a slight problem with the skate park that you designed. Beginning skateboarders keep wiping out on one section of hills that are a bit difficult to navigate. The solution you have come up with ...
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1 answer
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A word is not allowed to ask here [closed]

Guess this question will be closed soon. But, I still need to figure out what it means in the context of a garage sale. Is "hard-xxx" negative or positive in the clip, "You are such a ...
0 votes
1 answer
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Difference between prepositions ‘for’ and ‘to’

For ‘for’, in dictionaries there are two examples: 1.The box is too heavy for me to carry. 2.For her, books were as necessary to life as bread… But I saw this in a video that if your friend ask you ...
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Use of 'reflect' in this context

I read these lines somewhere a few days ago. I don't have the source, sorry. "I edited the About section but it does not reflect on the website." It means the website does not show the ...
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What are the correct synonyms for “tangible”?

However, the growing popularity of Agile practices begs the question of whether they can be applied to the development of tangible physical products and services too? physical measurable innovative
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What does the "honest" in "honest mistake" imply?

I encountered this thread on Twitter by Will Amos. I made a really unfortunate mistake today & obviously I’m embarrassed by it. My camera was accidentally left on as I changed into work clothes ...
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"The doctor took/examine my pulse."

Suppose, a doctor came to my house to check my pulse. Then, what would be the correct verb: The doctor took/examine my pulse. In the sentence above (in bold), which one should be the appropriate ...
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The keyboard shortcuts are completely different from that of Windows

I came across this sentence in an "actual speaking", and had seen similar examples in English context too many times. Nevertheless, my question is about whether the author had to use "...
1 vote
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Hello, what does the word "are dogged" mean in this context? [closed]

When many workers’ lives are dogged by insecurity and uncertainty about the future, consideration has to be given to the fact that workers are also consumers, and that if their working lives are very ...
1 vote
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You didn’t hurt your little self, did you? "little" implies the person is physically/really young(little) or younger than the other speaker?

You didn’t hurt your little self, did you? "little" implies the person is physically/really young(little) or younger than the other speaker? I feel a sort of feeling that the speaker is ...
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1 vote
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What does "that" refer to in this context?

Does "That" refer to "The abiding sense"? But don’t be fooled: enjoyment and happiness are not synonyms. Enjoyment is, at best, an answer to the rigors of routine; it is not the ...
3 votes
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Says or Said in this context, which one is correct?

My answer is said while the solution gives says. No idea why it's says, bacause I think Kate has already said that.
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2 answers
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How to avoid by in this sentence

Is it possible to avoid by in this sentence: I think DM can work in fields like climate change and urban planning so, I want to learn about it by studying the bachelor of sciences. [PS: DM= Digital ...
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