The Hindu Editorial (​Time for truce) – Mar 13, 2025

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The Hindu Editorial (​​​​​​Time for truce) – Mar 13, 2025:

1. truce (noun) – an ad-hoc (temporary/makeshift) arrangement, arrived at by the combatants (fighters), to pause the fighting. Temporary cessation/suspension (of hostilities); A deal to stop fighting for a certain time.
2. ceasefire (noun) – a negotiated agreement that will be accompanied by other associated commitments to de-escalate the fighting; a temporary stoppage of war, truce, armistice.
3. cessation of hostilities (phrase) – it means that the combatants are willing to stop fighting and to restrain their forces.
4. conflict (noun) – war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash.
5. interim (adjective) – provisional, temporary, short-term, transitional.
6. shut down (phrasal verb) – cease operating, discontinue, switch off, stop.
7. talks (noun) – discussion, discourse, debate, dialogue, deliberation, negotiation, parley.
8. Kyiv (proper noun) – the capital city of Ukraine.
9. rule out (phrasal verb) – reject, dismiss, eliminate, cancel, exclude, prohibit.
10. rearm (verb) – to provide/equip/furnish with new weapons.
11. withdrawal (noun) – retreat, pullout, pullback, disengagement, departure (of military troops from an area of conflict).
12. Crimea (noun) – a peninsula along the northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe. The peninsula is almost entirely surrounded by both the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The status of Crimea is disputed. It is claimed by Ukraine and in 2014 was recognized as Ukrainian by the United Nations and most other countries, but it is governed by Russia. Russia formally annexed Crimea on 18 March 2014.
13. pre-condition (noun) – necessary condition, essential requirement.
14. float (verb) – suggest, put forward, propose, come up with.
15. freezing (noun) – an act of limiting/restricting (something from taking place).
16. current (adjective) – existing, present.
17. Line of Contact (noun) – In general a “line of contact” refers to the demarcation/delimitation between two or more given armies, whether they are allied or belligerent.
18. in return for (phrase) – in exchange for, in consideration of, in response to.
19. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (noun) – NATO was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
20. security guarantee (noun) – “any implicit or explicit promise given by an outside power to protect” particular parties to a conflict.
21. the West (noun) – The Western world/civilization consisting of the majority of Europe & the North America.
22. administration (noun) – government, regime, governance.
23. ratchet up (phrasal verb) – to increase something by a series of small amounts.
24. intelligence (noun) – (military/political) information, facts, details, particulars.
25. up against the wall (phrase) – to be in a bad position; to be in a difficult situation.
26. prosperity (noun) – success, well-being, welfare, fortune.
27. resume (verb) – restart, start again, recommence, take up again, renew.
28. the ball is in your court (phrase) – it is now your responsibility or your turn to take action; it is up to you to take action now.
29. The U.S. Secretary of State (noun) – a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser.
30. officials (noun) – bureaucracy, authorities, officialdom, the people in charge, the administration, the establishment, the system, corridors of power.
31. definite (adjective) – definitive, decisive, certain, clear-cut, conclusive, concrete, categorical, unequivocal.
32. escalate (verb) – increase rapidly, step up, intensify, accelerate, heighten.
33. missile (noun) – a self-propelled/rocket-propelled weapon designed to deliver a conventional/nuclear explosive warhead with great accuracy at high speed; projectile.
34. air strike (noun) – air attack.
35. infrastructure (noun) – the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.
36. unleash (verb) – let loose, unchain, unshackle, let something go freely/uncontrollably.
37. drone (noun) – unmanned aircraft/missile.
38. advance (noun) – progress, headway, forward movement.
39. hold on to (phrasal verb) – retain, hang on to, keep possession of, retain ownership of.
40. leverage (noun) – power, authority, sway, clout, influence, control, dominance, say, weight, position, muscle.
41. influence (noun) – power, authority, sway, clout, leverage, control, dominance, say, weight, position, muscle.
42. Kremlin (noun) – The name “Kremlin” means “fortress inside a city”, and is often also used metonymically to refer to the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation in a similar sense to how “White House” refers to the Executive Office of the President of the United States; Kremlin is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow city. (Metonym is used as an alternative for something else with which it is closely related/associated).
43. tilt (noun) – an attempt/effort at winning something.
44. U-turn (noun) – reversal, reversal of policy, volte-face, about-face, change of mind, turnaround; withdrawal, pulling back, back down.
45. sanctions (noun) – action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.
46. claim (verb) – take, cause the loss of.
47. offer (noun) – proposal, suggestion.
48. lasting (adjective) – enduring, long-lasting, never-ending, perpetual, perennial, long-term, permanent.

Note : 

1. Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc. from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context.  

3. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

The Hindu Editorial (​​​Time for truce) – Mar 13, 2025: