Dangerous escalation – The Hindu (Aug 01, 2017)

Dangerous escalation – The Hindu (Aug 01, 2017)

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to cut the U.S. diplomatic presence in the country by 755 signals a serious escalation in tensions between the two superpowers. For further reading, visit “The Hindu”.

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Courtesy: The Hindu

Word List-1

1. escalation (noun) – rapid increase, rise; intensification.
2. expulsion (noun) – removal, debarment, dismissal.
3. retaliatory (adjective) – termed as a revenge against someone.
4. spiral (noun) – increase, rise, enlargement/expansion.
5. ally (noun) – a state/country/nation formally supporting another on a military or other grounds/reasons.
6. unprecedented (adjective) – not done or experienced before.
7. pin one’s hopes on (noun) – rely on, trust, put one’s faith in.
8. lose heart (phrase) – become discouraged, be despondent, give up.
9. expel (verb) – banish, exile, deport.
10. in the last legs (phrase) – near the end of (office) life.
11. retaliate (verb) – fight/strike back, counterattack, return fire.
12. apparently (adverb) – seemingly, evidently, it seems/it appears.
13. strike (verb) – achieve, reach/find, establish.
14. incoming (adjective) – succeeding, new, next.
15. overture (noun) – move, approach, signal/proposal.
16. hardline (adjective) – uncompromising, strict/tough, inflexible.
17. 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 (Courtesy: VOA Learning English).
18. meltdown (noun) – collapse, complete failure, breakdown.
19. slim (noun) – slight, small, minimal.
20. ceasefire (noun) – truce; a temporary stoppage of a war.
21. broker (verb) – arrange, organize, negotiate (an agreement).
22. hold (verb) – continue, remain, stay.
23. the Cold War (noun) – The Cold War was a state of political and military tension after World War II between powers in the Western Bloc and powers in the Eastern Bloc. (Courtesy: Wikipedia).
24. irrational (adjective) – unreasonable, illogical, groundless.
25. hostility (noun) – hatred, opposition/unfriendliness, resentment.

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 purpose only and they may vary in different context. Use it with the corresponding article published on the source (website) via the link provided. 

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