Road to chaos – The Hindu (Nov 28, 2017)

Road to chaos – The Hindu (Nov 28, 2017)

The long stand-off between the authorities and Islamist protesters on the edges of Islamabad, once again, has exposed the vulnerability of the Pakistan government while dealing with extremist groups. For further reading, visit “The Hindu”.

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Courtesy: The Hindu

Word List-2 (To Improve English Vocabulary)

1. chaos (noun) – disorder, disruption, confusion.
2. face-off (noun) – contest, conflict, direct confrontation.
3. extremist (noun) – a person who is with extreme political or religious views and supports  violent actions; fanatic, radical, fundamentalist.
4. undermine (verb) – weaken, compromise, diminish/reduce.
5. stand-off (noun) – deadlock, stalemate, impasse (in a dispute/conflict).
6. vulnerability (noun) – the state of being open to attack, damage, harm physically or emotionally.
7. paralyse (verb) – immobilize, bring to a halt, stop.
8. purportedly (adverb) – allegedly, professedly, supposedly.
9. oath (noun) – vow, sworn statement, promise/pledge.
10. moderate (verb) – lessen, decrease, diminish.
11. blasphemy (noun) – profanity, irreligiousness, ungodliness/unholiness.
12. amount (verb) – be regarded, be equivalent to, be tantamount to. 
13. in the wake of (phrase) – aftermath, as a consequence of, as a result of.
14. pacify (verb) – placate, appease, calm.
15. persist (verb) – continue, carry on, be prolonged.
16. disperse (verb) – disband, separate, leave.
17. capitulation (noun) – surrender, submission, yielding/giving in.
18. ultimatum (noun) – order, rule, decree/command.
19. erosion (noun) – destruction, deterioration, undermining/weakening.
20. equilibrium (noun) – balance, symmetry/equality; calmness.
21. swiftly (adverb) – quickly, rapidly, fast.
22. come to a head (phrase) – reach a crisis, come to a climax, reach a critical point.
23. upstart (noun) – a person or group has risen suddenly to a position of power/wealth.
24. hold someone to ransom (phrase) – threaten, demand, force/extort.
25. mobilise (verb) – organize, encourage, stimulate/prompt.
26. reinforce (verb) – strengthen, underpin, support.
27. fringe group (adjective) – the outer, marginal, or extreme part of a group.
28. reluctance (noun) – unwillingness, disinclination, lack of interest.
29. take on (phrasal verb) – oppose, challenge, confront/face.

Note:   

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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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