encore

encore    [ahng-kawr]

noun. a repeated or extra performance, usually as called for by an audience 

"Following his 400th home run, Carlos Beltran looks for encore performance as Yankees head to Arizona tonight."

"The comic man retired to an enthusiastic demand for an encore."

"The singer returned several times to the stage as the standing ovation lingered, but  played no encores."

at loggerheads

at loggerheads 

phase.  in stubborn dispute or disagreement

"The Fox Network and the presidential candidate Mr. Trump were at loggerheads."

"The council was at loggerheads with the government over the grant allocations."

"The two sides remain at loggerheads."

parsimonious

parsimonious     [pahr-suh-Moh-nee-uh s] 

adjective. unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy

"Women found her parsimonious, ungraceful in dress and manner, sour in temper!"

"The U.S. will never be as parsimonious with energy as a Scandinavian country."

"Scientists prefer parsimonious explanations -- the simpler the better."

hammer

hammer    [Ham-er] 

verb. attack or criticize forcefully and relentlessly

"A tornado touched down south of Wynnewood, Oklahoma. The Midwest has been hammered by tornadoes all week."

"He got hammered for an honest mistake."

"In 1930, baseball legend Babe Ruth  hammered 49 homers."

ax / axe

ax / axe    [aks] 

verb. end, cancel, or dismiss suddenly and ruthlessly

"ABC TV network goes on cancellation rampage, axes multiple long-running shows."

"The company is axing more than 100 jobs."

"The boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets."

conundrum

conundrum    [kuh-Nuhn-druh m]

noun. 1) a confusing and difficult problem 2) a tricky riddle 

The riddle of the Sphinx is an example of a conundrum: "What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?" The answer is "A person."

"A fifth nuclear test by North Korea would create another conundrum for the international community."

"This is the conundrum facing Japan over what to do with its stubbornly strong yen."

acumen

acumen [uh-Kyoo-muh n]

noun. the ability to make good judgments and sharp decisions in a particular domain

"Donald Trump has touted his acumen for restructuring four of his companies under bankruptcy laws, but his resistance to release his tax return leaves a major question mark on his business acumen."

"She has remarkable acumen in business matters."

"I have known this man for two decades and admire his audacity, acumen, and vision."