Collins Primary Thesaurus. Collins Dictionaries

clean, David,” Auntie Julie said. “I know you’ve been at the chocolates.”

      own up

      The head teacher demanded that the person responsible for the damage should own up.

      confused ADJECTIVE

      If you are confused, you are uncertain about what is happening or what to do.

      baffled

      Lyra was baffled. What on earth was the significance of the dust?

      bewildered

      Bewildered by his sudden fame, Robbie went completely off the rails.

      muddled

      The useless new parking scheme was a prime example of muddled thinking.

      perplexed

      Frank stood at the crossroads, totally perplexed by the map he’d been given.

      puzzled

      “Then I’m puzzled,” Mum said. “How did the biscuit tin fly to your room?”

      confusing ADJECTIVE

      If something is confusing, it makes you uncertain about what is happening or what to do.

      baffling

      No body. No weapon. No witnesses. The whole thing was baffling.

      bewildering

      There was a bewildering choice of stereos.

      perplexing

      The mystery got more perplexing. Where on earth had the shoe gone?

      puzzling

      Sergeant Assad found it puzzling that everyone had volunteered for the job.

      connect (1) VERB

      If you connect two things, you join them together.

      attach

      When Mum receives nice postcards, she attaches them to the fridge with magnets.

      couple

      The man in the overalls dropped from the platform to couple the engine to the coaches.

      fasten

      Phil fastened the papers together with a clip.

      join

      The plumber joined the two pipes underneath the sink.

      link

      “This deal,” said the chairman, “will link two fine companies.”

      unite

      On their wedding day, the couple were united in marriage.

      connect (2) VERB

      If one thing or person is connected with another, there is a link between them.

      associate

      He claims that he no longer associates with any of those people.

      relate

      In good non-fiction writing, each sentence should relate to the one before.

      connection NOUN

      A connection is a link or relationship between two things.

      association

      Dad has always had a close association with the school. He attended as a pupil when he was a boy and is now a governor.

      bond

      There was a bond between the two brothers that could not be broken.

      link

      There are strong historical links between Britain and India.

      relationship

      Luis’ relationship with his stepfather was not always an easy one.

      contact VERB

      If you contact someone, you telephone them or write to them.

      communicate with

      Television reporters often communicate with the studio by satellite phone.

      get in touch with

      Message for Mr Sample: please urgently get in touch with your son.

      make contact

      Joe wants me to make contact when I arrive in New York.

      Different ways to make contact:

      card

      e-mail

      fax

      letter

      postcard

      telegram

      telephone

      text message

      contain VERB

      The things that something contains are the things in it.

      accommodate

      The narrowboat could accommodate up to nine people.

      comprise

      Our cottage comprises six rooms: three upstairs and three down.

      consist of

      Pancake mix mainly consists of flour, eggs and milk.

      hold

      An average household bucket will hold ten litres of liquid.

      include

      The holiday package includes all flights, accommodation and meals.

      container NOUN

      A container is something that you keep things in, such as a box or a jar.

      receptacle

      “What we need,” said Mr Vanstone, “is some sort of receptacle for these tadpoles.”

      vessel

      A pitcher is a vessel for carrying liquids.

      contest NOUN

      A contest is a competition or game.

      battle

      The Cup Final was a battle between a giant club and one of the league’s minnows.

      bout

      The wrestling announcer began, “This is a bout of eight rounds of three minutes each.”

      competition

      Mum is a fanatic for entering competitions. She’s always thinking up catchy slogans.

      head-to-head INFORMAL

      The finish of the sack race was a close-run head-to-head between Mrs Robinson and Miss Penn.

      match

      The match against Holcombe was played in pouring rain.

      tournament

      The chess tournament featured players from all over the country.

      continue VERB

      If you continue to do something, you keep doing it.

      carry on

      “If you carry on prodding me, I’ll prod you back,” I said to Barry.

      keep on

      “If you keep on forgetting your homework, you’ll get detention,” I told Anita.

      persevere

      Although she was tired, Jamilah persevered with her drawing.

      persist

      Although I hate it, Dad persists in calling me by my nickname.

      continuous ADJECTIVE

      Something that is continuous goes on without stopping.

      ceaseless

      The ceaseless noise of drilling was