| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring action against in court |
| Synonyms: | arraign, bring suit, bring to trial, contest, do, haul into court, indict, involve in litigation, law, litigate, prefer charges, pull up, put away, put on docket, put on trial, see in court, seek redress, sue, summon, take to court, try, turn on the heat |
| Notes: | persecute means 'to harass or treat unjustly'; prosecute is 'to bring legal action against' or 'to pursue something until the end' |
| Antonyms: | exonerate, free, liberate, pardon |
| Main Entry: | accuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | place blame for wrongdoing, fault |
| Synonyms: | allege, apprehend, arraign, arrest, attack, attribute, betray, blame, blow the whistle, brand, bring charges, censure, charge, cite, complain, criminate, denounce, file claim, finger*, frame, hang something on, hold accountable, impeach, implicate, impute, incriminate, inculpate, indict, lay at door, let have it, libel, litigate, lodge complaint, name, pin on, point finger at, prosecute, recriminate, serve summons, slander, slur, sue, summon, tax |
| Antonyms: | absolve, exculpate, exonerate, praise, vindicate |
| Main Entry: | denounce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | condemn, attack |
| Synonyms: | accuse, adjudicate, arraign, blacklist, blame, boycott, brand, castigate, censure, charge, charge with, criticize, damn, declaim, decry, denunciate, derogate, dress down, excoriate, expose, finger*, hang something on, impeach, implicate, impugn, incriminate, indict, inveigh against, knock, ostracize, proscribe, prosecute, rap, rat, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprobate, reprove, revile, scold, show up, skin*, smear, stigmatize, take to task, threaten, upbraid, vilify, vituperate |
| Antonyms: | approve, commend, compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | enforce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | put a rule, plan in force |
| Synonyms: | accomplish, administer, administrate, apply, carry out, coerce, commandeer, compel, constrain, crack down, demand, dictate, discharge, dragoon, drive, effect, egg on, emphasize, exact, execute, exert, expect, extort, force upon, fortify, fulfill, goad, hound, impel, implement, impose, incite, insist on, invoke, lash, lean on, make, necessitate, oblige, perform, press, prosecute, put into effect, put screws to, reinforce, require, sanction, spur, strain, stress, strong-arm, support, urge, whip, wrest |
| Antonyms: | abandon, disregard, drop, forego, forget, give up, neglect, overlook |
| Main Entry: | execute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | carry out a task |
| Synonyms: | accomplish, achieve, act, administer, administrate, bring off, bring to fruition, cause, come through, complete, consummate, deal with, discharge, do, do the job, do the trick, do to a T, earn wings, effect, enact, enforce, finish, fulfill, get there, govern, hack it, hit*, implement, make it, meet, percolate*, perform, play, polish off, prosecute, pull off, put into effect, put over, put through, realize, render, sail through, score*, take care of, take care of business, transact |
| Antonyms: | abandon, disregard, fail, forget, ignore, leave, miss, neglect, shirk |
| Main Entry: | fight |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | oppose action, belief |
| Synonyms: | argue, bicker, buck*, buckle down, carry on, combat, conduct, contest, continue, defy, dispute, effect, endure, engage in, exert oneself, fall out, force, further, hammer away, hassle, lay into, light into, maintain, make a stand against, oppose, persevere, persist, prosecute, push forward, put up an argument, repel, resist, row, spare no effort, squabble, stand up to, strive, struggle, support, take on, take pains, tangle with, toil on, travail, traverse, uphold, wage, withstand, wrangle |
| Antonyms: | agree, believe, support, uphold |
| Main Entry: | incriminate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | accuse |
| Synonyms: | allege, attack, attribute, blame, brand, bring charges, charge, cite, finger*, frame, hold accountable, implicate, inculpate, indict, involve, name, pin on, point the finger at, prosecute, serve summons |
| Main Entry: | indict |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | accuse |
| Synonyms: | arraign, censure, charge, criminate, face with charges, finger*, frame*, impeach, incriminate, inculpate, prosecute, summon, tax |
| Antonyms: | absolve, acquit, exonerate |
| Main Entry: | litigate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring matter before court of law |
| Synonyms: | appeal, contest, dispute, drag into court, file suit, go to court, go to law, institute legal proceedings, press charges, prosecute, see one in court, sue, take the law on |