(1) a highly controversial topic
(2) a controversial plan to build a new road
(3) Winston Churchill and Richard Nixon were both controversial figures.

(1) The path started to ascend more steeply.
(2) Mist ascended from the valley.
(3) The air became colder as we ascended.

(1) China has always fascinated me.
(2) It was a question that had fascinated him since he was a boy.
(3) The private lives of movie stars never fail to fascinate.

(1) She groped through the darkness towards the doors.
(2) He groped his way up the staircase in the dark.
(3) (figurative)‘It's so…, so… ’ I was groping for the right word to describe it.

(1) Lack of time precludes any further discussion.
(2) His religious beliefs precluded him/his serving in the army.
(3) At 84, John feels his age precludes too much travel...

(1) He stopped in the doorway, too timid to go in.
(2) They've been rather timid in the changes they've made (= they've been afraid to make any big changes) .
(3) a timid voice

(1) She was expelled from school at 15.
(2) Olympic athletes expelled for drug-taking
(3) Foreign journalists are being expelled.

(1) She bravely blinked back her tears.
(2) Suddenly a warning light blinked.
(3) When I told him the news he didn't even blink (= showed no surprise at all) .

(1) The injured woman staggered to her feet.
(2) He staggered home, drunk.
(3) We seem to stagger from one crisis to the next.

(1) He had discarded his jacket because of the heat.
(2) 10% of the data was discarded as unreliable.
(3) (figurative)She could now discard all thought of promotion.

(1) the lowering of taxes and the consequent increase in spending
(2) the responsibilities consequent upon the arrival of a new child
(3) The warming of the Earth and the consequent climatic changes affect us all...

(1) a particularly apt description/name/comment
(2) apt to be forgetful/careless
(3) Babies are apt to put objects into their mouths.

(1) It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office.
(2) She had been offered a $50 000 bribe to drop the charges.
(3) They bribed the guards with cigarettes.

(1) There will be fines for people who drop litter .
(2) The floor was covered with a litter of newspapers, clothes and empty cups.
(3) cat litter

(1) They are campaigning to save the area from building development.
(2) to conduct a campaign
(3) a campaign against ageism in the workplace

(1) a consultant in obstetrics
(2) a consultant surgeon
(3) a firm of management consultants

(1) a rigorous analysis
(2) The work failed to meet their rigorous standards.
(3) The country's press is rigorously controlled.

(1) She scraped the mud off her boots.
(2) The kids had scraped their plates clean.
(3) I scraped the side of my car on the wall.

(1) Who's the likely successor to him as party leader?
(2) Their latest release is a worthy successor to their popular debut album.
(3) He set out several principles that he hopes will guide his successors...

(1) the perpetual noise of traffic
(2) We lived for years in a perpetual state of fear.
(3) How can I work with these perpetual interruptions?

(1) a striking feature
(2) She bears a striking resemblance to her older sister.
(3) In striking contrast to their brothers, the girls were both intelligent and charming.

(1) to repel an attack/invasion/invader
(2) Troops repelled an attempt to infiltrate the south of the island.
(3) (figurative)The reptile's prickly skin repels nearly all of its predators.

(1) I remained stationary.
(2) The car collided with a stationary vehicle.
(3) a stationary exercise bike

(1) Social tensions were manifested in the recent political crisis.
(2) The symptoms of the disease manifested themselves ten days later.
(3) His nervousness was manifest to all those present.

(1) Welfare payments cease as soon as an individual starts a job.
(2) You never cease to amaze me!
(3) They voted to cease strike action immediately.

(1) agricultural subsidies
(2) to reduce the level of subsidy
(3) European farmers are planning a massive demonstration against farm subsidy cuts...

(1) to give an impulse to the struggling car industry
(2) nerve/electrical impulses
(3) He tends to act on impulse .

(1) How could everything go so disastrously wrong?
(2) a disastrous harvest/fire/result
(3) Lowering interest rates could have disastrous consequences for the economy.

(1) Coconut is a basic ingredient for many curries.
(2) Our skin cream contains only natural ingredients.
(3) the essential ingredients for success

(1) The Pope bluntly told the world's priests yesterday to stay celibate.
(2) "I don't believe you!" Jeanne said bluntly.
(3) To put it bluntly, he became a pain.

(1) Children are easily diverted.
(2) The war diverted people's attention away from the economic situation.
(3) Northbound traffic will have to be diverted onto minor roads.

(1) Her argument doesn't really stand up to scrutiny.
(2) Foreign policy has come under close scrutiny recently.
(3) The documents should be available for public scrutiny .

(1) She averted her eyes from the terrible scene in front of her.
(2) He did his best to avert suspicion.
(3) A disaster was narrowly averted.

(1) Mirrors in a room often give an illusion of space.
(2) The idea of absolute personal freedom is an illusion.
(3) He could no longer distinguish between illusion and reality.

(1) (formal)All lights had been extinguished.
(2) News of the bombing extinguished all hope of peace.
(3) Firefighters tried to extinguish the flames.

(1) They are each recognized specialists in their respective fields.
(2) the respective roles of men and women in society
(3) Steve and I were at very different stages in our respective careers...

(1) He has a very tolerant attitude towards other religions.
(2) The plants are tolerant of frost.
(3) They need to be tolerant of different points of view...

(1) a short and turbulent career in politics
(2) a turbulent part of the world
(3) The aircraft is designed to withstand turbulent conditions.

(1) The cost was negligible.
(2) a negligible amount
(3) The pay that the soldiers received was negligible...

(1) a United Nations peace initiative
(2) a government initiative to combat unemployment
(3) You won't get much help. You'll have to use your initiative .