2024-01-02
23
exceedAWL
VERB TRANSITIVE to bigger, better, more important than
In the tropics, such as parts of India, the heat index right now can exceed the dangerous level for a few weeks a year. (Battisti 2022) If one fisherman exceeds the quota while everyone else abides by it, then that individual is better off at the expense of others. (Chaudhuri, Atkinson, and Claessens 2023) Total damage estimates exceed US$10 billion (£8.6 billion), and further disruption to the country’s economy and critical food production is inevitable. (Clarke, Otto, and Harrington 2022) The average concert often exceeds 100 decibels, and the WHO notes that such sound can begin to damage one’s ears after only 15 minutes. (Stucky 2022) As we get toward the end of the century, we’ll start exceeding “extremely dangerous” conditions in several places, primarily in the tropics.(Battisti 2022) Common collocates for this word:

exceed

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supply
expenditure
limits
targets
expectations
threshold
maximum
supply
standards
demand
minimum
levels
capacity
exports
revenue

 Word Family: exceed (verb), excess (noun), excessive (adjective)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: overdo, surpass Lexical phrases: substitute X for Y02/01/2026 - Set 23Test your understanding of the words in set 23 with these quick quizzes: Quiz 23 Quiz 23B Quiz 23C
2024-01-01
23
expertiseAWL AKL OPAL NGSL
NOUN UNCOUNTABLE skill and/or knowledge in a particular area
So think whether your goal could be achieved another way – ie, by building in-house expertise, hiring new staff with the skills you need, or by contracting another party, such as a consultant, to do the job (Charles and Keast 2016) My own research has shown that excessive reliance on automation technologies like generative AI can lead to the erosion of professional expertise. (Rinta-Kahila 2024) Having someone who is highly knowledgeable about plants is also important. This kind of expertise draws others in, offering people a way to learn more about the environment and overcome plant blindness. (Graham 2024) There’s no point in collaborating with partners who don’t bring additional expertise and resources to the table. (Charles and Keast 2016) But the pending loss of European funding, expertise and collaborations means they are going to have to do more with less. (Addie 2017) Common collocates for this word:

expertise

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technical
professional
particular
special
considerable
financial
medical
necessary
relevant
managerial
technological
scientific
appropriate
local
legal

 Word Family: expertise (noun), expert (noun)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: skill, know-how 01/01/2026 - Set 23
2024-12-31
23
incidentAWL AKL OPAL NGSL
NOUN COUNTABLE 1. an event; something which happens (often unexpectedly); 2. a criminal or violent act
From the time of this incident until the mid-1980s, 25 small planes disappeared while passing through the Bermuda Triangle. (Satterley 2020) This is partly driven by an increase in flooding incidents in cities such as Accra and Kumasi in the last decade. (Amponsah and Takyi 2025) The US navy investigated and ultimately reported the incident as “cause unknown”. (Satterley 2020) This is what has happened for decades with the incidents in the Bermuda Triangle. (Satterley 2020) Interviewees recounted incidents of intimidation, robbery, sexual harassment and violence. (Dunne, Durrani, and Humphreys 2021) Common collocates for this word:

incident

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similar
serious
particular
isolated
alleged
separate
major
little
unfortunate
violent
embarrassing
single
diplomatic
recent
dramatic

 Word Family: incident (noun), incidental (adjective)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: event, occurrence, disturbance 31/12/2025 - Set 23
2024-12-30
23
inputAWL AKL NGSL
NOUN COUNTABLE something put into the start of a process
Each brewing method has its own features and inputs. (Beckett 2022) A nonlinear system is one whose output does not vary in direct proportion to the input. (Palmer 2022) More input from disabled people into PE teacher training would also be beneficial. (Dixon and Gibbons 2021) However, the chemicals that are used to make up plant parts need more than just the input of sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. (Ashton 2022) With the rising price of coffee, you might also be interested in extraction efficiency – how much caffeine you get for each gram of coffee input. (Beckett 2022) Common collocates for this word:

input

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mandatory
optional
sensory
direct
comprehensible
visual
major
inverting
lexical
important
local
additional
significant
previous
current

 Word Family: input (noun)Antonym: output30/12/2025 - Set 23
2024-12-29
23
intelligenceAWL AKL OPAL NGSL
NOUN UNCOUNTABLE 1. the ability use logic and reasoning to process and use information; 2. information (often secret or military)
In fact, intelligence is the best predictor of both educational achievement and work performance. (Gobet and Sala 2023) Among children, about 40% of the differences in intelligence scores are explained by genes. (Mackey, Lee, and Wee 2021) When the company OpenAI launched its new artificial intelligence program, ChatGPT, in late 2022, educators began to worry. (Baron 2023) They are also more likely to have higher academic abilities and levels of intelligence than their younger siblings. (Sabolova 2020) Mindfulness and relaxation techniques can enhance emotional intelligence and creativity, while a variety of different practices can help with assertiveness.(Becker and O’Connor 2019) Common collocates for this word:

intelligence

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artificial
military
low
high
human
foreign
national
secret
creative
limited
political
superior
average
sufficient
general

 Word Family: intelligence (noun), intelligent (adjective), intelligently (adverb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: intellect, understanding, reasoning, information 29/12/2025 - Set 23
2024-12-26
23
motivationAWL OPAL NGSL
NOUN UNCOUNTABLE the desire to do or achieve something
In fact, the potential for AI undermining both writing skills and motivation to do your own composing has been decades in the making. (Baron 2023) When people are driven by internal rewards like curiosity, purpose or pleasure in an activity itself – rather than outside benefits such as money – psychologists say they have “intrinsic motivation.”(Abouchalache 2025) Through these conversations, I’ve watched them wrestle with the classic conflicts of young adulthood – such as having to balance external rewards like money against internal motivations like wanting to be of service. (Abouchalache 2025) We study people’s motivation to learn new languages from the perspective of language mindset theory. (Noels and Zhang 2025) Our findings confirm there is a decline in students’ motivation and engagement from Year 6 to Year 9 (around 18% in total). (Martin and Collie 2024) Common collocates for this word:

motivation

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main
individual
political
human
personal
prime
high
strong
poor
real
extra
unconscious
sufficient
major
underlying

 Word Family: motivation (noun), motivate (verb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: impulse, will, desire 26/12/2025 - Set 23
2024-12-25
23
presumptionAWL
NOUN COUNTABLE believing something to be true without evidence or proof
The doctrine holds that if a child is between the ages of ten and 14, they are presumed not to be capable of forming criminal intent and the prosecution are required to rebut that presumption. (Cunneen 2020) In February this year, the Institute of Public Affairs think-tank identified 307 laws that infringed just four rights: the presumption of innocence, natural justice, the right to silence, and the privilege against self-incrimination. (Reynolds and Williams 2017) Of the 90 recommendations in Pitt’s review, two clearly stated there should be a presumption against building in high risk areas. (Potter 2014) Key concerns are the presumption of innocence, reputational damage, and the right to a fair trial. (McMahon 2017) The marketplace of ideas rests on the presumption that all voices have meaningful access to the marketplace, a presumption that is no longer tenable – if it ever was – in the digital era. (Bechtold 2021) Common collocates for this word:

presumption

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strong
general
irrebuttable
normal
rebuttable
negative
legal
statutory
common
reasonable
natural
combined
theoretical
similar
mere

 Word Family: presumption (noun), presume (verb), presumably (adverb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: premise, conjecture, assumption, supposition 25/12/2025 - Set 23
2024-12-24
23
rationalAWL AKL OPAL NGSL
ADJECTIVE CLASSIFIER using reason and logic
Imagine you’re walking in the woods, and a huge bear approaches you. Would it be rational for you to feel fear?(Nguyen 2019) Research has shown sentiment as a determinant of stock prices is driven by rational factors, such as inflation, overall market return and dividend yield, and less rational factors. (Bialkowski and Wagner 2024) Emotions are actually not dumb responses that always need to be ignored or even corrected by rational faculties. (Mulukom 2018) The highly influential work of psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky comprehensively showed that we often fail to make rational decisions – such as worrying about a terrorist attack but not about crossing the road. (Farmer and Warren 2019) I’m convinced the market needs vegan activists who are rational and present their ideas thoughtfully, with the intent to educate, so that we can learn from each other.(Charlebois 2019) Common collocates for this word:

rational

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expectations
basis
choice
decision
thought
explanation
analysis
approach
planning
argument
model
decisions
agent
behaviour
way

 Word Family: rational (adjective), rationality (noun)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: logicalbased on clear reasoning; according to evidence and systematic and accepted norms of explanation, credible, reasonable 24/12/2025 - Set 23
2024-12-23
23
revelationAWL OPAL NGSL
NOUN COUNTABLE the sudden appearance or understanding of something previously hidden or not understood
Winston Churchill wrote in the Daily Mail that: “This revelation of the secrets of nature, long mercifully withheld from man, should arouse the most solemn reflections in the mind and conscience of every human capable of comprehension.”(Luckhurst 2020) Before departing the antipodes two months later, he was to have a revelation that would eventually inform his grand theory of evolution by natural selection. (Nicholas 2016) Another potentially alarming revelation is the alleged existence of a group within the CIA called UMBRAGE that collects malware developed by other groups and governments around the world. (Glance 2017) Another amusing revelation came from Scott Kelly, a former NASA astronaut with an impressive resumé, who is also on Nasa’s UAP committee. (Pattison 2023) It wasn’t until the proliferation of social media platforms that parties centered on the revelation of a baby’s sex became commonplace.(Drenten 2020) Common collocates for this word:

revelation

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new
sudden
advanced
final
particular
devastating
progressive
supreme
historical
special
great
shattering
startling
astonishing
embarrassing

 Word Family: revelation (noun), reveal (verb)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: discovery, disclosure 23/12/2025 - Set 23
2024-12-22
23
traceAWL AKL OPAL
NOUN COUNTABLE 1. a small sign, indication; 2. a very small amount of a substance (often used in the plural - traces)
For instance, zinc oxide accounts for around 0.7% of a tyre’s weight. Though it is essential for making tyres more durable, zinc oxide is highly toxic for fish and other aquatic life and disrupts ecosystems even in trace amounts. (Obanya 2024) The water contained trace amounts of metals such as iron and lead, low enough magnesium levels that it can’t be tasted, and sodium levels substantially lower than those in popular soft drinks. (Hai 2025) It’s based on very limited data, analysed under immense pressure, and without access to every subsystem or mechanical trace. (Junior 2025) A new study by researchers at McGill University and the University of Montreal has found that the forgotten birth language of adoptees can apparently leave its traces in the brain, many years after the adoption has taken place. (Schmid 2014) But even when bodies decompose completely, the trace of a life can still be found. (Gowland and Thompson 2019) Common collocates for this word:

trace

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incompatible
faint
slight
little
lingering
essential
cardiac
dietary
archaeological
typical
successful
various
single
white
certain

 Word Family: trace (noun), trace (verb), traceable (adjective)SynonymsTrue synonyms are rare: all of these have related meanings but are used in different contexts with different collocates: sign, evidenceinformation (documents, photos, videos, testimony, etc.) which helps to demonstrate whether something is true or not, mark, footprint, small amount22/12/2025 - Set 23