The Hindu Editorial (Down to the wire) – Sep 17, 2024

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The Hindu Editorial (Down to the wire) – Sep 17, 2024:

down to the wire (phrase) – relating to a situation whose result is unpredictable till the very last moment.
run-up to (noun) – a period of time just before an important event.
race (noun) – contest, competition; election (in this context).
poise (verb) – balance, hang, hang suspended, hang in mid-air.
knife-edge (noun) – tense, charged, overwrought/dangerous situation.
apparent (adjective) – obvious, evident, noticeable, palpable, striking, glaring.
Republican (noun) – (in the US) a member or supporter of the Republican Party (also referred to as the GOP); conservative, right winger. Grand Old Party (GOP) refers to the Republican Party.
lent an air of (phrase) to provide or give a feeling/impression/mood/quality of something.
unfold (verb) – develop, evolve, take place, happen, occur, transpire, emerge.
campaign (noun) – canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.
confront (verb) – tackle, deal with, address, handle, take care of, manage.
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) (noun) – The United States Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency with headquarters in Washington, D.C., and more than 150 offices throughout the United States and abroad. The Secret Service was established in 1865, solely to suppress the counterfeiting of U.S. currency. Today, the agency is mandated by Congress to carry out dual missions: protection of national and visiting foreign leaders, and criminal investigations.
custody (noun) – imprisonment, incarceration, arrest, remand, restraint, confinement.
sympathy (noun) – support, favour, empathy, compassion, harmony, approval.
psyche (noun) – soul, spirit, mind, essential nature, intellect, true being, personality, individuality.
tip (verb) – tilt, lean, slant, incline.
tip the balance (phrase) – be the decisive/deciding/determining factor; make the difference in such a way that something is likely to become successful; to change a situation in order to succeed in something doubtlessly.
tilt the scales/balance (phrase) – to change the balance of a situation, so that one side is gaining advantage.
as it stands (phrase) – as it turns out.
Democratic (adjective) – (in the US) relating to a member or supporter of the Democratic Party; liberal.
rival (noun) – opponent, opposition, fellow contestant, nemesis, adversary.
percentage point (noun) – the difference between two percentages is termed as percentage point. (for example: “Interest Rates Jump From 10% to 12%”. In this case, the interest rate increased by “2 percentage points” or you can say that the interest rate is increased by 20%).
margin of error (phrase) – (in statistics) it is the degree of error in results received from random sampling surveys.
unwise (adjective) – ill-advised, ill-considered, short-sighted, thoughtless.
assume (verb) – presume, suppose, guess, imagine, deduce, surmise.
leave aside (phrasal verb) – to not consider something; ignore, dismiss.
dramatically (adverb) – rapidly, aggressively, abruptly.
shift (verb) – change, alter, modify.
term (noun) – condition, situation.
adage (noun) – saying, proverb, maxim/aphorism.
observation (noun) – impression, finding, statement, result.
turnout (noun) – participation, attendance. (Voter turnout refers to the number or percentage of eligible voters who cast their ballots).
Democrat (noun) – (in the US) a member or supporter of the Democratic Party; liberal.
likely (adverb) – probably, certainly, presumably, doubtlessly.
hold true (phrase) – remain true, remain valid, to be applicable, to be valid.
indeed (adverb) – in fact, actually, for sure, definitely, without (a) doubt.
midterm election (noun) – it is an election to elect members of Congress (which is made up of two parts – the House of Representatives and the Senate) in years the president is not also elected. The elections are held every two years and when they fall in the middle of the president’s four-year term of office, they are called the midterms.
on a strong wicket (phrase) – in a strong situation.
incumbent (adjective) – current, existing, present (holder, bearer or occupant of an office).
approval rating (noun) – a measure of people’s approval of a political leader.
fall (verb) – drop, plunge, plummet, go down.
relatively (adverb) – comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, in a certain degree, more or less.
dent (verb) – diminish, reduce, lessen, shrink, weaken, erode, undermine, damage, impair.
turn out (phrasal verb) – come, arrive, appear, gather, assemble, turn up.
in the wake of (phrase) – as a result of some event, especially an unpleasant one; in the aftermath of, as a consequence of, on account of, because of, owing to
overturn (verb) – nullify, annul, cancel, quash, revoke, overrule.
Roe vs Wade (noun) – In this landmark 1973 case, the Supreme Court of the United States established that a woman’s right to an abortion was protected by the right to privacy implicit in the Fourteenth Amendment. But in 2022, the Court reversed the decision, taking back a constitutional protection that stood for decades.
federal (adjective) – relating to a system of government in which establishments such as states or provinces share power with a national government.
abortion (noun) – medical termination of pregnancy.
wherein (adverb) – in which.
unfounded (adjective) – groundless, baseless, unjustified.
allegation (noun) – accusation, charge, indictment.
immigrant (noun) – emigrant, migrant, settler, foreigner.
immigration (noun) – the act of leaving one’s countries and moving to another country of which they are not natives, nor citizens, to settle or reside there, especially as permanent residents or naturalized citizens.
thorny (adjective) – problematic, tricky, delicate, controversial.
puncture (verb) – collapse, cut short, reverse, flatten, reduce.
policy plan (noun) – a set of ideas or a plan for action followed by a government (or) a political party.
(elected) representative (noun) – a member of a legislature (parliament/legislative assembly); legislator, lawmaker.
alienate (verb) – set apart, isolate, distance, detach, separate, disunite; estrange, make hostile/make unfriendly.
term (noun) – tenure, period of/in office; period, time, stint, spell.
so-called (adjective) – supposed, claimed, professed, reported, ostensible.
derogatory (adjective) – insulting, abusive, disparaging, belittling, disrespectful, offensive, insulative, defamatory, abusive, libellous, pejorative.
intend (verb) – plan, aim, want.
racist (adjective) – prejudiced, discriminatory, intolerant.
nativism (noun) – the political policy of supporting the interests of native inhabitants against those of immigrants.
rational (adjective) – logical, well reasoned, sensible, coherent, wise.
humane (adjective) – compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, kind-hearted.
asylum (noun) – protection provided by a foreign country to somebody who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to fear of persecution (harm, harassment or oppression).
undocumented (adjective) – not having the proper legal document.
palpable (adjective) – visible, noticeable, perceivable, tangible, observable, discernible, obvious, evident, apparent.
bipartisan (adjective) – involving cooperation between two (opposite & big) political parties.
juncture (noun) – point in time, time/moment, stage.