retreat β the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.
scatter β to throw loosely about; distribute at irregular intervals: to scatter seeds.
spend β to pay out, disburse, or expend; dispose of (money, wealth, resources, etc.): resisting the temptation to spend one's money.
spread β to draw, stretch, or open out, especially over a flat surface, as something rolled or folded (often followed by out).
squander β to spend or use (money, time, etc.) extravagantly or wastefully (often followed by away).
stretch β to draw out or extend (oneself, a body, limbs, wings, etc.) to the full length or extent (often followed by out): to stretch oneself out on the ground.
throw away β to propel or cast in any way, especially to project or propel from the hand by a sudden forward motion or straightening of the arm and wrist: to throw a ball.
waste β to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander: to waste money; to waste words.
cancel β If you cancel something that has been arranged, you stop it from happening. If you cancel an order for goods or services, you tell the person or organization supplying them that you no longer wish to receive them.
distribute β to divide and give out in shares; deal out; allot.
dissemble β to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of: to dissemble one's incompetence in business.
leave β to go out of or away from, as a place: to leave the house.
miss β to fail to hit or strike: to miss a target.
reject β to refuse to have, take, recognize, etc.: to reject the offer of a better job.
lose β to come to be without (something in one's possession or care), through accident, theft, etc., so that there is little or no prospect of recovery: I'm sure I've merely misplaced my hat, not lost it.
allot β If something is allotted to someone, it is given to them as their share.
deal β If you say that you need or have a great deal of or a good deal of a particular thing, you are emphasizing that you need or have a lot of it.
grow β to increase by natural development, as any living organism or part by assimilation of nutriment; increase in size or substance.
misunderstand β to take (words, statements, etc.) in a wrong sense; understand wrongly.
plant β any member of the kingdom Plantae, comprising multicellular organisms that typically produce their own food from inorganic matter by the process of photosynthesis and that have more or less rigid cell walls containing cellulose, including vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, and hornworts: some classification schemes may include fungi, algae, bacteria, blue-green algae, and certain single-celled eukaryotes that have plantlike qualities, as rigid cell walls or photosynthesis.
decrease β When something decreases or when you decrease it, it becomes less in quantity, size, or intensity.
discourage β to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit.
dissuade β to deter by advice or persuasion; persuade not to do something (often followed by from): She dissuaded him from leaving home.
hurt β to cause bodily injury to; injure: He was badly hurt in the accident.
undermine β to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.
abridge β to reduce the length of (a written work) by condensing or rewriting
compress β When you compress something or when it compresses, it is pressed or squeezed so that it takes up less space.
condemn β If you condemn something, you say that it is very bad and unacceptable.
condense β If you condense something, especially a piece of writing or speech, you make it shorter, usually by including only the most important parts.
contract β A contract is a legal agreement, usually between two companies or between an employer and employee, which involves doing work for a stated sum of money.
curtail β If you curtail something, you reduce or limit it.
denounce β If you denounce a person or an action, you criticize them severely and publicly because you feel strongly that they are wrong or evil.
diminish β to make or cause to seem smaller, less, less important, etc.; lessen; reduce.
disgrace β the loss of respect, honor, or esteem; ignominy; shame: the disgrace of criminals.
halt β to falter, as in speech, reasoning, etc.; be hesitant; stumble.
humiliate β to cause (a person) a painful loss of pride, self-respect, or dignity; mortify.
lower β to cause to descend; let or put down: to lower a flag.
play down β a dramatic composition or piece; drama.
reduce β to bring down to a smaller extent, size, amount, number, etc.: to reduce one's weight by 10 pounds.
shame β the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another: She was overcome with shame.
shrink β to draw back, as in retreat or avoidance: to shrink from danger; to shrink from contact.
soothe β to tranquilize or calm, as a person or the feelings; relieve, comfort, or refresh: soothing someone's anger; to soothe someone with a hot drink.
stop β to cease from, leave off, or discontinue: to stop running.
abandon β If you abandon a place, thing, or person, you leave the place, thing, or person permanently or for a long time, especially when you should not do so.
conclude β If you conclude that something is true, you decide that it is true using the facts you know as a basis.
