1The patient's muscles have _______
atrophy
2Contrary to popular belief, the military is not always a _____ of political conservatism.
bastion
3A spirit of ______ was restored when the company compensated its employees
concord
Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican are works of ______ artistry.
4The lawyers could not ___________ the settlement until the two parties met face to face.
consummate
The burgled apartment was in a state of __________.
5If you leave the window open, a breezeway ___________ the papers on the desktop.
disarray
6The governor emphasized the ____________ of the situation by requesting the immediate dispatch of rescue teams.
exigency
7After the two ships collided, the survivors clung to various pieces of ___________ and hoped for rescue.
flotsam
8When a court order was issued, the social services department made a _________ search for the missing report.
frenetic
9By means of painstaking investigation, the detectives will eventually _________ the truth.
glean
The patient's latest _________ was that he did not get any dessert with his dinner the night before.
10Those who stand around and _________ about their low salaries are not likely to get raises.
grouse
11They will __________ the convicted felon at the state penitentiary.
incarcerate
Voting on election day is a duty _____________ on all Americans who value a democratic government.
12The _________ has the advantage when standing for reelection but does not have a guarantee of victory.
incumbent
13After receiving the news that she was ahead in the polls, the candidate was in a delightfully ___________ mood.
jocular
14Her comment was so _____________ that we finally understood that she was joking.
ludicrous
15The actor was upset by the ________ criticism of the gossip columnist who seemed out to ruin his reputation.
mordant
If you are pricked by a ______ aloe cream will soothe and reduce the sting.
16The principal was _________ by the student's disrespectful behavior.
nettle
17The couple was forced by _________ considerations to sell their large home and buy a smaller one
pecuniary
18It is often said that bullies, when tested, are the most ___________ people of all.
pusillanimous
19The tired toddlers were ___________ on the couch after playing all afternoon in the yard.
recumbent
20The defense attorney used a clever _______ to curry sympathy for her client
stratagem.