clout

clout    [klout]

noun. influence or power, especially in politics or business

"The UK has been a strong political ally, an important economic partner and a significant counterweight to Germany's clout within the union."

"China has growing economic clout."

"Oprah is known to have significant clout in the media industry."

usurp

usurp    [yoo-Surp]

verb.  seize and take control without authority and possibly with force

"Yankees veteran Brian McCann's catching duties have been usurped by the red-hot rookie Gary Sanchez."

"Leaders who usurp power don't ask for permission to take control of their country."

"Will you leave my mother's home and mine, and cease to usurp my rights?"

crib

crib  

verb.  copy,  plagiarize; lift

"Melania Trump's cribbing of Michelle Obama's lines was not the first time she claimed something that was not hers."

"He often cribbed from other researchers."

"She was doing an exam and didn't want anybody to crib the answers from him."

bungee jump

bungee jump

phase.  bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord.

pummel

pummel    [Puhm-uh l]

verb.  repeatedly beat or strike, especially with fists

"About 6.9 trillion gallons of rain pummeled Louisiana between August 8 and 14."

“The pedestrians pummeled the demonstrators.”

"The moon is a pretty harsh environment. There’s no atmosphere there and it gets pummeled by some pretty harsh radiation.”

gratuitous

gratuitous    [gruh-too-i-tuh s]

adjective. without good reason, unnecessary but also inappropriate;  free of charge

"Trump gratuitously attacked the ethnic background of the judge who dared to rule against him."

"Some films and video games contain gratuitous violence — that is, violence that is excessive and offensive."

"They were not going to stop in the hall to be grossly and gratuitously insulted!"

accost

accost    [uh-Kawst]

verb. approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively

"Trump supporter accosts reporters at rally."

"Reporters accosted him in the street"

"The player accosted an assistant referee and was subsequently suspended for the first six matches the following year."

platonic

platonic    [pluh-Ton-ik]

adjective. purely spiritual, not sexual

"A soulmate doesn’t have to mean the traditional man and woman romantic relationship; you can have these types of connections in a platonic way as well."

"They made a long and dignified marriage, even if it was largely platonic."

Origin:  Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who wrote on the interesting subject of love. Platonic love and platonic friendships are marked by the absence of physical or sexual desire. Plato did acknowledge physical desire, but thought that if two people truly inspired each other, their spiritual or ideal love would bring them closer to God.

astute

astute [uh-Stoot]

adjective. having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations and having good judgement; shrewd

"Going into the negotiations, the UK will need an astute strategy to get a good deal with the EU and with other trading partners."

"Alex Rodriguez is a tireless work and an astute student of the game." - Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner

"His clothes seem less a personal pursuit of perfection and more of an astute understanding of brand management."

demure

demure     [dih-Myoo r]

adjective. modest, reserved or shy in manner or behavior

"We need to keep changing the attitude that raises our girls to be demure and our boys to be assertive, that criticizes our daughters for speaking out and our sons for shedding a tear. " - President Obama

"She had long, wavy blonde hair and wore a demureblack suit."

"She is a demure young lady."

echelon

echelon    [Esh-uh-lon]

noun.  a level or rank in an organization, a profession, or society

"McDonald’s returned to downtown Chicago from suburbs like Oak Brook. GE will move its headquarter to downtown Boston from Fairfield.  A top echelon of executives of Corporate America is returning to American cities."

"After years of service, she is now in the upper echelon of city officials."

"There is corruption in the upper echelons of the firm."

Origin:  Echelon comes from the French échelon, a word whose literal meaning is “rung of a ladder.”