The Hindu Editorial (Uncle Volte-face) – Aug 11, 2022
Nitish Kumar has done it again — a volte-face. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and now the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, used to call the Janata Dal (U) chief, paltu chacha — ‘uncle turnaround’… For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (Uncle Volte-face) – Aug 11, 2022.
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The Hindu Editorial (Uncle Volte-face) – Aug 11, 2022:
- volte-face (noun) – U-turn, about-face, turnaround, turnround, turnabout, backtracking, rowback.
- convince (verb) – persuade, satisfy, cajole, win over, prevail on.
- ally (noun) – partner, supporter (to form an alliance/coalition).
- turnaround (noun) – about-face, volte-face, turnround, turnabout, U-turn, rowback.
- join hands with (phrase) – work together with.
- part ways with (phrase) – to separate, to depart, to end a relationship.
- turn the tables (phrase) – reverse a disadvantaged situation/position to gain an advantage.
- in the process (phrase) – as an unplanned/unpremeditated part of a plan of action.
- scheme (verb) – plot, plan, conspire, intrigue, connive, manoeuvre.
- sabotage (verb) – undermine, weaken, ruin, impair, damage, threaten, subvert.
- dismiss (verb) – reject, refuse, deny, disregard, disapprove, say no to, rule out.
- allegation (noun) – charge, accusation ,claim, indictment.
- point out (phrasal verb) – indicate, specify, detail, mention, refer to.
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smoke and mirrors (phrase) – this expression is particularly in the contexts of politics and marketing. When you refer to the statement made by someone (politician/businessman) as being nothing more than ‘smoke and mirrors’, you are suggesting that the individual is distorting or obscuring the truth; that he is, in fact, lying. When you say that a politician’s argument is ‘smoke and mirrors’, you mean it lacks substance.
- a pat on the back (phrase) – congratulations, praise, accolade, cheers, commendation, applause.
- manoeuvre (verb) – intrigue, plot, scheme, plan, conspire; manipulate, contrive, manage, engineer, devise, fix, orchestrate, choreograph.
- laud (verb) – praise, extol, hail, applaud, acclaim, commend, admire, approve of, speak highly of.
- sight (noun) – perception, judgement, belief, opinion, point of view, view, viewpoint, outlook, observation.
- fixate on (verb) – obsessed with, preoccupied by, preoccupied with, single-minded about; set, determined, fixed.
- trapeze game/act (noun) – a simple endless circus rope adventure game. An acrobat/gymnast swings and jumps from one trapeze to another and earn a point for each successful attempt. It’s a challenging game that tests your timing. (trapeze is a horizontal bar hanging by two ropes and free to swing).
- embrace (noun) – hold, encirclement, enclosure.
- make for (phrasal verb) – produce, promote, facilitate, further, advance, foster, favour.
- strange (adjective) – weird, eccentric, odd, peculiar, funny, bizarre, unusual, abnormal.
- bedfellow (noun) – a person or thing allied or closely connected with another.
- stretch (verb) – extend, draw out, elongate, expand.
- ideological (adjective) – relating to a system of ideas (ideology).
- ideology (noun) – a system of belief, set of principles.
- infidelity (noun) – unfaithfulness, faithlessness, disloyalty, falseness, breach of trust, treachery, double-dealing, duplicity, deceit, perfidy.
- in defence of something (phrase) – in support of something that is being attacked/criticized.
- walking out (noun) – leaving, departure.
- unlikely (adjective) – doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable.
- trample (verb) – disregard, show no consideration for, treat disrespectfully, treat with contempt, take for granted, encroach on, infringe.
- mandate (noun) – approval, acceptance, endorsement, authority (given by a constituency to someone acting as its representative).
- entrust (verb) – assign, confer on, bestow on, vest in, invest in, give responsibility for.
- blatant (adjective) – evident, flagrant/glaring, obvious.
- opportunism (noun) – expediency, exploitation, taking advantage, pragmatism, realism.
- clutch at a straw (phrase) – to describe a desperate situation wherein someone unlikely gets any solution but he/she tries to get a small chance to improve the situation.
- road (noun) – way, path, route, direction, course.
- en route (adverb) – on the way, in transit, on the journey, during the journey, along the road.
- realignment (noun) – reorganisation, reordering, reshuffle.
- setback (noun) – problem, difficulty, issue.
- window (noun) – opportunity, chance, opening.
- claimant (noun) – applicant, candidate, supplicant.
- anti-incumbency (noun) – a situation which is against elected officials currently in power; discontent against ruling government/ party in power.
- investigative agencies (noun) – India has a number of investigative agencies like The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), The National Investigation Agency (NIA), The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and others.
- figure (noun) – person, individual.
- affirm (verb) – state, assert, proclaim, pronounce; uphold, confirm, ratify, endorse.
- intent (adjective) – determined, insistent, fixed, resolved, firm about, single-minded about, inflexible about.
- at the expense of (phrase) – at the cost of, at the loss of; at the sacrifice of.
- base (noun) – a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party.
- foe (noun) – enemy, adversary, opponent, rival, nemesis.
- alike (adverb) – similarly, the same, just the same, in the same fashion, in the same manner, in the same way, identically, uniformly.
- strategy (noun) – plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).
- run the risk of (phrase) – do something that may cause something bad/unpleasant thing.
- undermine (verb) – weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.
- established (adjective) – accepted, traditional, entrenched, well known, recognized, acclaimed, esteemed, acknowledged.
- equation (noun) – the situation (or) the problem, the quandary, the predicament.
- in the short/near term (phrase) – in the near future.
- as in (conjunction) – in the sense of.
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 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.
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