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adjective as in real, exact
Weak matches
- appropriate
- indubitable
- sure-enough
- unqualified
- unquestionable
adverb as in much, really; to a high degree
Strongest matches
- exceedingly
- excessively
- extraordinarily
- particularly
- surprisingly
- wonderfully
- astonishingly
- considerably
- emphatically
- exaggeratedly
- extensively
- indispensably
- prodigiously
- substantially
- superlatively
- surpassingly
Discover More
Related words.
Words related to very are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word very . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.
adjective as in (used as intensifier)
adverb as in extremely
- to a great extent
adverb as in exceptionally; well
- conspicuously
- outstandingly
- prominently
adverb as in extravagantly
- unreasonably
Viewing 5 / 46 related words
Example Sentences
“I think the types of stories we do are very similar to what happened with hip-hop,” says Jones.
Our animators are very excited to be drawing the innards of a human being.
Not actual CIA agents, but U.S. government personnel who have worked very closely with the CIA, and who are fans of the show.
Satirists are reliant ultimately on the very establishment they mock.
It was a very faithful homage to a Six Million Dollar Man episode.
Suddenly, however, he became aware of a small black spot far ahead in the very middle of the unencumbered track.
There seems something in that also which I could spare only very reluctantly from a new Bible in the world.
Among the Perpendicular additions to the church last named may be noted a very beautiful oaken rood-screen.
They ranged from moving trunks to cleaning cisterns, and, by grace of all of them, Sim was doing very well.
On the upper part of the stem the whorls are very close together, but they are more widely separated at the lower portion.
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On this page you'll find 128 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to very, such as: actual, appropriate, authentic, bare, bona fide, and correct.
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
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Word to Use Instead of Very
It’s common, even for native speakers, to unintentionally repeat a word. In spoken English, that’s not a big problem. Repetition can even lend rhythm to your speech. On the other hand, in written text, it’s easier to recognize when an author relies on identical words and phrases over and over again.
Sometimes, overuse of a word or phrase can even distract the reader. In order to make your writing stronger, try to add some spice to your vocabulary and syntax. Avoid dependence on particular words and phrases. Often, a thesaurus can be a particularly effective tool to add variety to your writing.
Here are a few synonyms for the word “very” when it’s used as an adjective, according to Thesaurus.com :
- appropriate
- indubitable
- sure-enough
- unqualified
- unquestionable
When it’s used as an adverb, “very” can be replaced with one of these synonyms:
- exceedingly
- excessively
- extraordinarily
- particularly
- surprisingly
- wonderfully
- astonishingly
- considerably
- emphatically
- exaggeratedly
- extensively
- indispensably
- prodigiously
- substantially
- superlatively
- surpassingly
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How Does “Very” Work in a Sentence?
In English grammar, the word “very” functions as both an adjective and an adverb. When it’s used as an adverb and followed by another adjective, the word “very” means, “exceedingly” or “truly.” Basically, it amplifies the word that comes next.
Many grammarians consider it a useless word, since there exist more concise and colorful ways to express intensity. If you think about the adjective that you’re trying to amplify, it may be helpful to turn to a thesaurus to look for a replacement. So, when you’re thinking about revising your first draft, try to exchange “very” + adjective for a single term that conveys the meaning more succinctly.
For example, you could replace the phrase “very pale” with the word “ashen.”
Here’s a short list of words to demonstrate how you can avoid “very.” Notice how all of the adjectives on the left turn up the volume, taking the English words on the right hand side and making them more emphatic and specific.
Flawless > Very Nice
Cutthroat > Very Competitive
Trending > Very Current
Gorgeous > Very Pretty
Spotless > Very Clean
Exhausted > Very Tired
Tyrannical > Very Mean
With so many expressive adjectives in American English, we can’t possibly name every single one! Just remember this quick writing tip to instantly improve your prose—replace the adverb “very” or the phrase “very” + adjective with another word.
Antonyms for “Very”
Merriam Webster lists the following antonyms for the adjective “very”:
- conjectural
- hypothetical
- nonexistent
- suppositional
- theoretical
- another
When “very” is used as an adverb, these words are antonyms:
- professedly
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/very
- https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/very
- https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a39980/128-better-words-than-very/
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Very – Synonyms
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Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 1 “Very” – Meaning
- 2 “Very” – General synonyms
- 3 “Very” – Synonyms used in academic writing
“Very” – Meaning
The word “very” is an adverb used to emphasize or intensify the meaning of another word or phrase, indicating a high degree or great extent.
Another word for very is extremely or exact. However, more synonyms will be stated in the following article.
On our overview page for synonyms, you can find the best options of synonyms for a vast variety of words that are used in academic writing .
To the overview page for synonyms
“Very” – General synonyms
The word “very” can be used in various ways and has many different meanings. In the following subheadings, these will be presented in a detailed list.
“Very” in the sense of extremely
Synonyms of the word very in the sense of extremely will be listed below.
- Astonishingly
- Considerably
- Emphatically
- Exaggeratedly
- Exceedingly
- Excessively
- Extensively
- Extraordinarily
- Indispensably
- Particularly
- Prodigiously
- Substantially
- Superlatively
- Surpassingly
- Surprisingly
- Wonderfully
“Very” in the sense of exact
Synonyms of the word very in the sense of exact will be listed below.
- Appropriate
- Indubitable
- Sure-enough
- Unqualified
- Unquestionable
“Very” – Synonyms used in academic writing
In academic writing, “very” is often used as an intensifier to emphasize the degree or extent of a particular characteristic or quality. However, the word may be considered too informal for academic writing, and more precise language may be preferred. Using “very” too frequently may be perceived as repetitive or redundant, so using more specific and alternating language is recommended when possible.
Synonyms for very that can be used for academic writing include extremely, incredibly, or remarkably.
Are you looking for suitable synonyms for “very” for your academic paper? Have a look at the table below with the top suggestions from our BachelorPrint-Team .
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Synonyms of 'very' in American English
Synonyms of 'very' in british english, usage note: , additional synonyms, video: pronunciation of very.
Browse alphabetically very
- vertiginous
- vest in something or someone
- All ENGLISH synonyms that begin with 'V'
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Words to Use in an Essay: 300 Essay Words
Hannah Yang
Table of Contents
Words to use in the essay introduction, words to use in the body of the essay, words to use in your essay conclusion, how to improve your essay writing vocabulary.
It’s not easy to write an academic essay .
Many students struggle to word their arguments in a logical and concise way.
To make matters worse, academic essays need to adhere to a certain level of formality, so we can’t always use the same word choices in essay writing that we would use in daily life.
If you’re struggling to choose the right words for your essay, don’t worry—you’ve come to the right place!
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of over 300 words and phrases to use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essay.
The introduction is one of the hardest parts of an essay to write.
You have only one chance to make a first impression, and you want to hook your reader. If the introduction isn’t effective, the reader might not even bother to read the rest of the essay.
That’s why it’s important to be thoughtful and deliberate with the words you choose at the beginning of your essay.
Many students use a quote in the introductory paragraph to establish credibility and set the tone for the rest of the essay.
When you’re referencing another author or speaker, try using some of these phrases:
To use the words of X
According to X
As X states
Example: To use the words of Hillary Clinton, “You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health.”
Near the end of the introduction, you should state the thesis to explain the central point of your paper.
If you’re not sure how to introduce your thesis, try using some of these phrases:
In this essay, I will…
The purpose of this essay…
This essay discusses…
In this paper, I put forward the claim that…
There are three main arguments for…
Example: In this essay, I will explain why dress codes in public schools are detrimental to students.
After you’ve stated your thesis, it’s time to start presenting the arguments you’ll use to back up that central idea.
When you’re introducing the first of a series of arguments, you can use the following words:
First and foremost
First of all
To begin with
Example: First , consider the effects that this new social security policy would have on low-income taxpayers.
All these words and phrases will help you create a more successful introduction and convince your audience to read on.
The body of your essay is where you’ll explain your core arguments and present your evidence.
It’s important to choose words and phrases for the body of your essay that will help the reader understand your position and convince them you’ve done your research.
Let’s look at some different types of words and phrases that you can use in the body of your essay, as well as some examples of what these words look like in a sentence.
Transition Words and Phrases
Transitioning from one argument to another is crucial for a good essay.
It’s important to guide your reader from one idea to the next so they don’t get lost or feel like you’re jumping around at random.
Transition phrases and linking words show your reader you’re about to move from one argument to the next, smoothing out their reading experience. They also make your writing look more professional.
The simplest transition involves moving from one idea to a separate one that supports the same overall argument. Try using these phrases when you want to introduce a second correlating idea:
Additionally
In addition
Furthermore
Another key thing to remember
In the same way
Correspondingly
Example: Additionally , public parks increase property value because home buyers prefer houses that are located close to green, open spaces.
Another type of transition involves restating. It’s often useful to restate complex ideas in simpler terms to help the reader digest them. When you’re restating an idea, you can use the following words:
In other words
To put it another way
That is to say
To put it more simply
Example: “The research showed that 53% of students surveyed expressed a mild or strong preference for more on-campus housing. In other words , over half the students wanted more dormitory options.”
Often, you’ll need to provide examples to illustrate your point more clearly for the reader. When you’re about to give an example of something you just said, you can use the following words:
For instance
To give an illustration of
To exemplify
To demonstrate
As evidence
Example: Humans have long tried to exert control over our natural environment. For instance , engineers reversed the Chicago River in 1900, causing it to permanently flow backward.
Sometimes, you’ll need to explain the impact or consequence of something you’ve just said.
When you’re drawing a conclusion from evidence you’ve presented, try using the following words:
As a result
Accordingly
As you can see
This suggests that
It follows that
It can be seen that
For this reason
For all of those reasons
Consequently
Example: “There wasn’t enough government funding to support the rest of the physics experiment. Thus , the team was forced to shut down their experiment in 1996.”
When introducing an idea that bolsters one you’ve already stated, or adds another important aspect to that same argument, you can use the following words:
What’s more
Not only…but also
Not to mention
To say nothing of
Another key point
Example: The volcanic eruption disrupted hundreds of thousands of people. Moreover , it impacted the local flora and fauna as well, causing nearly a hundred species to go extinct.
Often, you'll want to present two sides of the same argument. When you need to compare and contrast ideas, you can use the following words:
On the one hand / on the other hand
Alternatively
In contrast to
On the contrary
By contrast
In comparison
Example: On the one hand , the Black Death was undoubtedly a tragedy because it killed millions of Europeans. On the other hand , it created better living conditions for the peasants who survived.
Finally, when you’re introducing a new angle that contradicts your previous idea, you can use the following phrases:
Having said that
Differing from
In spite of
With this in mind
Provided that
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
Notwithstanding
Example: Shakespearean plays are classic works of literature that have stood the test of time. Having said that , I would argue that Shakespeare isn’t the most accessible form of literature to teach students in the twenty-first century.
Good essays include multiple types of logic. You can use a combination of the transitions above to create a strong, clear structure throughout the body of your essay.
Strong Verbs for Academic Writing
Verbs are especially important for writing clear essays. Often, you can convey a nuanced meaning simply by choosing the right verb.
You should use strong verbs that are precise and dynamic. Whenever possible, you should use an unambiguous verb, rather than a generic verb.
For example, alter and fluctuate are stronger verbs than change , because they give the reader more descriptive detail.
Here are some useful verbs that will help make your essay shine.
Verbs that show change:
Accommodate
Verbs that relate to causing or impacting something:
Verbs that show increase:
Verbs that show decrease:
Deteriorate
Verbs that relate to parts of a whole:
Comprises of
Is composed of
Constitutes
Encompasses
Incorporates
Verbs that show a negative stance:
Misconstrue
Verbs that show a positive stance:
Substantiate
Verbs that relate to drawing conclusions from evidence:
Corroborate
Demonstrate
Verbs that relate to thinking and analysis:
Contemplate
Hypothesize
Investigate
Verbs that relate to showing information in a visual format:
Useful Adjectives and Adverbs for Academic Essays
You should use adjectives and adverbs more sparingly than verbs when writing essays, since they sometimes add unnecessary fluff to sentences.
However, choosing the right adjectives and adverbs can help add detail and sophistication to your essay.
Sometimes you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is useful and should be taken seriously. Here are some adjectives that create positive emphasis:
Significant
Other times, you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is harmful or ineffective. Here are some adjectives that create a negative emphasis:
Controversial
Insignificant
Questionable
Unnecessary
Unrealistic
Finally, you might need to use an adverb to lend nuance to a sentence, or to express a specific degree of certainty. Here are some examples of adverbs that are often used in essays:
Comprehensively
Exhaustively
Extensively
Respectively
Surprisingly
Using these words will help you successfully convey the key points you want to express. Once you’ve nailed the body of your essay, it’s time to move on to the conclusion.
The conclusion of your paper is important for synthesizing the arguments you’ve laid out and restating your thesis.
In your concluding paragraph, try using some of these essay words:
In conclusion
To summarize
In a nutshell
Given the above
As described
All things considered
Example: In conclusion , it’s imperative that we take action to address climate change before we lose our coral reefs forever.
In addition to simply summarizing the key points from the body of your essay, you should also add some final takeaways. Give the reader your final opinion and a bit of a food for thought.
To place emphasis on a certain point or a key fact, use these essay words:
Unquestionably
Undoubtedly
Particularly
Importantly
Conclusively
It should be noted
On the whole
Example: Ada Lovelace is unquestionably a powerful role model for young girls around the world, and more of our public school curricula should include her as a historical figure.
These concluding phrases will help you finish writing your essay in a strong, confident way.
There are many useful essay words out there that we didn't include in this article, because they are specific to certain topics.
If you're writing about biology, for example, you will need to use different terminology than if you're writing about literature.
So how do you improve your vocabulary skills?
The vocabulary you use in your academic writing is a toolkit you can build up over time, as long as you take the time to learn new words.
One way to increase your vocabulary is by looking up words you don’t know when you’re reading.
Try reading more books and academic articles in the field you’re writing about and jotting down all the new words you find. You can use these words to bolster your own essays.
You can also consult a dictionary or a thesaurus. When you’re using a word you’re not confident about, researching its meaning and common synonyms can help you make sure it belongs in your essay.
Don't be afraid of using simpler words. Good essay writing boils down to choosing the best word to convey what you need to say, not the fanciest word possible.
Finally, you can use ProWritingAid’s synonym tool or essay checker to find more precise and sophisticated vocabulary. Click on weak words in your essay to find stronger alternatives.
There you have it: our compilation of the best words and phrases to use in your next essay . Good luck!
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Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.
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- 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays
To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.
Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.
It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.
If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.
General explaining
Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.
1. In order to
Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”
2. In other words
Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”
3. To put it another way
Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”
4. That is to say
Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”
5. To that end
Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”
Adding additional information to support a point
Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.
6. Moreover
Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”
7. Furthermore
Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”
8. What’s more
Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”
9. Likewise
Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”
10. Similarly
Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”
11. Another key thing to remember
Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”
12. As well as
Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”
13. Not only… but also
Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”
14. Coupled with
Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”
15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…
Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.
16. Not to mention/to say nothing of
Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”
Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast
When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.
17. However
Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”
18. On the other hand
Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”
19. Having said that
Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”
20. By contrast/in comparison
Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”
21. Then again
Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”
22. That said
Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”
Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”
Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations
Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.
24. Despite this
Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”
25. With this in mind
Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”
26. Provided that
Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”
27. In view of/in light of
Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”
28. Nonetheless
Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”
29. Nevertheless
Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”
30. Notwithstanding
Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”
Giving examples
Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.
31. For instance
Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”
32. To give an illustration
Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”
Signifying importance
When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.
33. Significantly
Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”
34. Notably
Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”
35. Importantly
Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”
Summarising
You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.
36. In conclusion
Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”
37. Above all
Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”
38. Persuasive
Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”
39. Compelling
Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”
40. All things considered
Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”
How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.
At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine and engineering .
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Synonyms of essays
- as in articles
- as in attempts
- as in tests
- as in tries
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Thesaurus Definition of essays
(Entry 1 of 2)
Synonyms & Similar Words
- dissertations
- commentaries
- compositions
- write - ups
- discussions
- prolegomena
- expositions
- undertakings
- trial and errors
- experiments
- experimentations
Thesaurus Definition of essays (Entry 2 of 2)
- has a go at
- tries one's hand (at)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Thesaurus Entries Near essays
Cite this entry.
“Essays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/essays. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
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Nglish: Translation of essays for Spanish Speakers
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14 Other Words for “Said” in an Essay
You want to sound as engaging and interesting as possible when writing an essay, and using words like “said” might prevent that.
So, if you’re about to use “said” for the umpteenth time, you’re in luck!
We have gathered some alternatives to show you other ways to say “said” in an essay that are bound to keep the reader entertained.
Other Ways to Say “Said”
Key takeaways.
- “Stated” is a great essay word that shows you are quoting a specific statement from a trustworthy source.
- “Declared” is a great way to describe an announcement or official quote.
- “Mentioned” is a bit simpler and allows you to highlight a quote that’s relevant to your essay.
Keep reading to find out how to quote what someone said in an essay. We’ll go over the three most effective terms to help spice up your academic writing.
One of the most common ways to replace “said” in an essay is “stated.” It’s a great formal synonym that helps to keep things direct and clear for the reader.
It works well before a quote. You should write “stated” to clarify that you’re about to run a quote by the reader.
Of course, you can’t claim that someone “stated” something without backing it up with evidence.
The last thing you’ll want is for the reader to look into the quote and find out it was never actually said.
But, as long as you’ve done your research, this works well. Good academic phrases that start with “stated” help you to establish a clear quote relating to the bulk of your essay.
These essay samples will also help you understand it:
It’s clear that he stated “time is the killer of all things.” However, nobody really understood the prophetic meaning behind it.
She stated that “it’s time to make the changes you want to see in the world.” That’s what led most people to join the revolution.
For a more impactful alternative, you can use “declared.”
You won’t find “declared” quite as often as “said,” but it’s still an incredibly good term to include.
It’s a formal synonym. It also shows that someone announced something important .
Generally, “declared” comes before compelling quotes. It might be more suitable to use it when quoting a famous politician or monarch of some kind.
It’s a surefire way to engage the reader and spark their imagination.
We highly recommend it when you’re certain that it belongs before a quote and will allow you to establish a more powerful meaning behind it.
Perhaps these essay samples will also help you with it:
The king declared “good things will come to those who ask me for them.” He was a very proud man.
She declared that “this was going to be the only time she offered her services to those in need.”
Feel free to use “mentioned,” too. It’s another word you can use instead of “said” in an essay that’ll keep things engaging for the reader.
It’s much subtler than the other phrases. It suggests that someone has made a brief comment about something, and you’d like to quote it for the reader.
Don’t worry; it’s still a good formal synonym. However, you should use it when the quote isn’t the most important part of your essay.
Quotes are there to add a bit of context for the reader. So, they’re not always needed to improve an essay.
“Mentioned” is a simple word that allows you to include a short but interesting quote . However, it usually isn’t as impactful as saying something like “declared” or “exclaimed.”
You can also refer to these essay examples:
The politician mentioned that “we cannot know what we haven’t already experienced.” That resonated with me.
It was clear that he mentioned “things were bound to change soon,” so they had to figure out what he meant.
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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust
David Folkenflik
NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.
NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.
"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.
A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.
NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.
"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."
NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era
She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."
A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.
Praised by NPR's critics
Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)
Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.
Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.
Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.
The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)
When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.
The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.
Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.
Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.
Author Interviews
Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.
New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."
"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.
Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.
Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom
Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.
Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.
Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.
"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."
After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.
"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."
Questions of diversity
Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."
Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)
Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."
Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."
Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.
In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.
"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."
"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.
A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.
The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."
Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.
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You Don’t Have to Take Every Tax Deduction, and You Shouldn’t
By Matthew Desmond
Mr. Desmond, a sociologist at Princeton, is the director of its Eviction Lab and the author of “ Poverty, by America ” and “ Evicted .”
Alejandro Narváez is OK taking less. He hires only contractors who pay their workers a living wage, even if that means a larger bill. A Seattle-based dentist, he’s promoted cost-effective practices to expand dental care to the underserved, even if those practices cut into his bottom line. And when it comes to paying taxes, he forgoes many deductions afforded him.
For much of Mr. Narváez’s life, money was tight. When he began his practice, he made $30,000 a year, out of which a large chunk went to paying off student loans. But today, Mr. Narváez and his wife, a retired elementary school principal, live comfortably. Last year, they earned approximately $550,000 and paid roughly $155,000 in federal income taxes. Upon seeing those figures, Mr. Narváez’s financial adviser told his client he was overpaying and introduced him to an accountant.
But after hearing the accountant’s spiel, Mr. Narváez politely declined his offer, filing his taxes with TurboTax, not to save money but to lose it. “I see it as my responsibility to pay my fair share of taxes,” Mr. Narváez, who is 70, told me. “I have so many opportunities to reduce my taxes, but I choose not to.”
Tax season is upon us, a time to gripe, moan, procrastinate, file for extensions and salve the pain with dark humor. (Mark Twain once joked that the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector is that the former takes only your skin.) But this time of year also provides us the opportunity to ask ourselves: Is it ethical to take tax breaks that primarily make the rich richer?
Yes, tax breaks benefit the billionaire class, which has the lowest effective tax rate in the country. And yes, they benefit large corporations, many of which pay no federal income tax. The outrageous tax shenanigans of the ultrawealthy have deservedly drawn the ire of the American public, further aggravated by congressional inertia on the matter.
But we should recognize that tax breaks also prop up the wealth of millions of affluent Americans who take advantage of exemptions that are very hard, perhaps impossibly hard, to defend on either practical or moral grounds.
Last year, tax breaks for dividends and capital gains — profits from the sale of assets, like stocks or artwork, which are taxed at lower rates than other sources of income — cost the government an estimated $153 billion. In 2022, 92 percent of that benefit went to households making $200,000 or more, and 73 percent went to those with incomes over $1 million.
Inheritance explains more than 60 percent of wealth inequality nationwide, a recent study found, but U.S. law allows wealth to be passed onto heirs almost tax-free. Let’s say you buy $1,000 of stock that grows in value to $49,999 over the course of your lifetime; then you pass it on to your children when you die. If your kids turn around and sell the stock the next day, when it is valued at $50,000, they will owe taxes only on the $1 of growth that happened when the stock was in their possession.
All told, roughly half of all major income tax expenditures — provisions that exclude or reduce income for tax purposes, resulting in significant lost revenue for the government — flow to households in the top 20 percent of the income distribution. Annually, that amounts to $500 billion transferred to America’s richest families, money that could have been used to build more affordable housing, deepen investments in public education, cut child poverty, help close the Black-white wealth gap or even make sure all of us had access to a dentist.
The biggest beneficiaries of tax breaks are white. Consider the mortgage-interest deduction, which results in $25 billion in lost revenue each year, a figure that is expected to exceed $100 billion by 2027, owing to the expiration of provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that President Donald Trump signed into law in 2017. Roughly 84 percent of the funds distributed by the mortgage-interest deduction flow to white households. Black households claim 4 percent.
White families also enjoy 90 percent of the benefits from qualified business income deductions, which deprived the federal government of roughly $50 billion last year, as well as 92 percent of the benefits from capital gains deductions.
Many of us are aware that the more money the country dedicates to subsidizing private affluence, the less it has to invest in the public good. And yet, year after year, well-off Americans, including those ostensibly committed to fairness and equality, take large tax deductions anyway. Besides the occasional statement from liberal elites asking to be taxed more, many of the biggest beneficiaries of the government’s largess have done very little to bring about fair tax reform.
Why do we keep waiting for Congress to act when we could effectively tax ourselves more by following Mr. Narváez’s example and refusing to take some deductions?
Of course, the government can direct extra revenue to all sorts of things, choosing to make more bombs instead of feeding the hungry. So would it be better to donate our tax deductions to worthy causes instead of forgoing them?
My family has struggled with this question. For years, I have criticized the mortgage-interest deduction, which, by inflating home prices, serves as an obstacle , not an on ramp, to homeownership. In theory, nearly all mortgaged homeowners are eligible for this benefit. In practice, it’s primarily a windfall for the wealthy. Last year, homeowners with annual family incomes below $30,000 received $22 million through the mortgage-interest deduction. Those with annual incomes above $200,000 took home 800 times that amount: a whopping $17.6 billion.
My family qualifies for this ridiculous deduction. But we don’t want it. What we want is to live in a country where fewer public dollars flow to stable homeowners and more flow to renting families crushed by the high cost of housing. So we’ve decided to create that society in miniature form, and with full recognition that we have the privilege of doing so, by donating what we receive from the mortgage-interest deduction to affordable housing initiatives on top of our regular giving.
In an ideal world, there would be no mortgage-interest deduction, no capital gains loophole, no $1 trillion a year lost in unpaid taxes, and the nation’s bolstered revenue streams would be directed at opportunity-expanding initiatives determined by representative democracy. But we have inherited a world of entrenched inequality and poverty. In this world, I honestly don’t know if it’s better to donate tax deductions or, like Mr. Narváez, refuse them outright. I only know that it feels unfair to keep it all for ourselves.
I often overhear liberals deriding individual acts like these because what is really needed is structural change. But I’m not talking about tossing a few dollars into the collection plate. I’m talking about a coordinated effort to redirect hundreds of billions of dollars from the upper classes to struggling families.
Arguing exclusively for systematic reform by mocking individual acts of altruism strikes me as a great way to get neither. In fact, it seems like a pretty convenient strategy rich liberals can deploy to justify all the ways the government guards their fortunes.
If liberalism is just talk — talk of integration while resisting affordable housing in our neighborhoods; talk of exploitative companies while investing in them in our retirement portfolios; talk of expanding the social safety net while depriving the government’s ability to do so by shielding tax cuts for the rich — is it really a liberalism worthy of the name?
I believe every American should call for programs aimed at abolishing poverty funded by fair tax reform, especially legislation that ensures people and corporations worth billions pay up. But prosperous Americans can do something else as well. They can send Washington a clear message that they would support progressive tax reform by enacting such reforms in their own lives.
Public policy often follows private displays of sacrifice. And besides, individual acts can quickly become political ones if enough of us pitch in, creating a movement that gathers force to pressure lawmakers to act.
Imagine a campaign involving millions of Americans who donated their tax breaks to community organizers or direct service providers — or refused to claim them at all — and persuaded their friends to do likewise. Imagine those taxpayers asking their senators and representatives to end nonsensical deductions and redirect the extra revenue to programs that benefited the poor. Imagine if we all came to view tax breaks not as entitlements but as money that is not rightfully ours.
Matthew Desmond ( @just_shelter ) is a sociologist at Princeton, where he is the director of the Eviction Lab, and the author of “ Poverty, by America ” and “ Evicted : Poverty and Profit in the American City.”
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .
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Synonyms for VERY: extremely, incredibly, terribly, highly, too, so, damn, damned; Antonyms of VERY: somewhat, little, slightly, nominally, negligibly, just, hardly ...
There are other words for "very" that feel less trite. But what are they? Dive into an eclectic list of alternatives and take your writing to the next level.
Find 82 different ways to say VERY, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
Use Another Word for "Very" There are many ways to remove the word very from your writing.The easiest is to simply replace it with another adverb. Please remember that very has different uses and meanings. Although it can also be used as an adjective that means "exact" (e.g., It was that very man), the synonyms below replace very when being used as an adverb that means "extremely."
Do you want to improve your writing skills and avoid using the word 'very' too often? This infographic will show you 147 alternatives that you can use to make your sentences more precise and expressive. Learn how to replace 'very' with more descriptive adjectives, adverbs, nouns and verbs in this handy guide from GrammarCheck.
Spotless > Very Clean. Exhausted > Very Tired. Tyrannical > Very Mean. With so many expressive adjectives in American English, we can't possibly name every single one! Just remember this quick writing tip to instantly improve your prose—replace the adverb "very" or the phrase "very" + adjective with another word. Antonyms for "Very"
Absolute Synonyms for Very. Word. Meaning. Extremely. Suggests a high degree of intensity or degree. Incredibly. Implies that something is so remarkable it's hard to believe. Highly. Indicates a very positive quality to a notable level.
Another word for very is extremely or exact. However, more synonyms will be stated in the following article. Find suitable synonyms for your academic writing. On our overview page for synonyms, you can find the best options of synonyms for a vast variety of words that are used in academic writing. To the overview page for synonyms.
Synonyms for essay include article, dissertation, paper, treatise, thesis, discourse, study, composition, critique and exposition. Find more similar words at ...
VERY - Synonyms, related words and examples | Cambridge English Thesaurus
Another way to say Essay? Synonyms for Essay (other words and phrases for Essay). Synonyms for Essay. 1 447 other terms for essay- words and phrases with similar meaning. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. words. phrases. idioms. Parts of speech. verbs. nouns. adjectives. Tags. effort. try.
Synonyms of 'very' in British English. very. Explore 'very' in the dictionary. very (adverb) in the sense of extremely. ... Whether you're in search of a crossword puzzle, a detailed guide to tying knots, or tips on writing the perfect college essay, Harper Reference has you covered for all your study needs. February 13, 2020 Read more
If you're struggling to choose the right words for your essay, don't worry—you've come to the right place! In this article, we've compiled a list of over 300 words and phrases to use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essay. Contents: Words to Use in the Essay Introduction. Words to Use in the Body of the Essay.
4. That is to say. Usage: "That is" and "that is to say" can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: "Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.". 5. To that end. Usage: Use "to that end" or "to this end" in a similar way to "in order to" or "so".
Synonyms for ESSAY: composition, theme, article, paper, piece, assay, proof, test, trial, tryout, attempt, effort, trial, endeavor, try, dissertation; Antonyms for ...
Synonyms for ESSAYS: articles, papers, themes, dissertations, editorials, treatises, commentaries, compositions; Antonyms of ESSAYS: drops, gives up, quits
Other Words for Very. Learn list of words that you can use instead of "very" to increase your English vocabulary. Very angry —> Furious. Very beautiful —> Gorgeous. Very big —> Massive. Very boring —> Dull. Very noisy —> Deafening. Very poor —> Destitute. Very cheap —> Stingy.
VERY MUCH - Synonyms, related words and examples | Cambridge English Thesaurus
Synonyms for very specific include distinct, specified, certain, definite, precise, express, set, explicit, single and clear. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com!
Another way to say Very Easy? Synonyms for Very Easy (other words and phrases for Very Easy). Synonyms for Very easy. 332 other terms for very easy- words and phrases with similar meaning. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. words. phrases. idioms. Parts of speech. adjectives.
Stated. One of the most common ways to replace "said" in an essay is "stated.". It's a great formal synonym that helps to keep things direct and clear for the reader. It works well before a quote. You should write "stated" to clarify that you're about to run a quote by the reader. Of course, you can't claim that someone ...
Another way to say Very Easily? Synonyms for Very Easily (other words and phrases for Very Easily). Synonyms for Very easily. 125 other terms for very easily- words and phrases with similar meaning. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. words. phrases. idioms. Parts of speech.
Perhaps, she responded, because it would be more likely to produce orgasm without risking, you know, death. In my interviews, college students have seen male orgasm as a given; women's is nice ...
Berliner's essay, titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that ...
Many exemptions are very hard, perhaps impossibly hard, to defend on either practical or moral grounds. ... Guest Essay. You Don't Have to Take Every Tax Deduction, and You Shouldn't. April 13 ...