▸ Specimen Drawer

Common Verbs — Lesson 38

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Browse the cards below, then start a play round — five minutes of quick drills that lock each word into memory.

Specimen

averaging

ˈæv(ə)rɪdʒɪŋ

Amount to or come to an average, without loss or gain — she is averaging the test scores from all her classes.

She is averaging the test scores from all her classes.

Specimen

avert

əˈvɜrt

Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening — he did everything he could to avert disaster.

The government took action to avert a financial crisis.

Specimen

averted

əˈvɜːrtɪd

Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening — she averted her eyes from the terrible scene.

She averted her eyes from the terrible scene.

Specimen

backdate

bækˈdeɪt

Make effective from an earlier date — the company decided to backdate the contract to January 1st.

The company decided to backdate the contract to January 1st.

Specimen

backed

bækt

Be behind; approve of — he backed his car into the garage.

The proposal was backed by all the committee members.

Specimen

backfired

bækˈfaɪərd

Come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect — the policy backfired on the government.

The marketing campaign backfired and actually decreased sales.

Specimen

backfiring

ˈbæk.faɪrɪŋ

Come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect — the engine was backfiring loudly, so we had to pull over.

The marketing campaign backfired and people started criticizing the company even more.

Specimen

backhanded

bækˈhændɪd

Hit a tennis ball backhand — his backhanded remarks always leave a bad taste.

She gave me a backhanded compliment about my new haircut.

Specimen

backslide

ˈbækslaɪd

Drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards — students often backslide during summer vacation.

After three months of sobriety, he began to backslide.

Specimen

bagged

bæɡd

Capture or kill, as in hunting — the hunter bagged two deer this season.

She bagged all the groceries after shopping.

Specimen

bailed

beɪld

Release after a security has been paid — the family bailed him out after the arrest.

The family bailed him out after the arrest.

Specimen

bailing

ˈbeɪlɪŋ

Release after a security has been paid — he's bailing on us again.

He's bailing on us again.

▸ Catalogue Progress 0 / 12 specimens catalogued

Mark each specimen as learned to complete this drawer.

Next drawer · Common Verbs — Lesson 39