get over and under in an obstacle race.
obstruction
The roadworks were an obstruction and drivers had to be diverted around them.
base (1) NOUN
The base is the lowest part of something.
bottom
The lost cat mewed at the bottom of the well.
foot
“Please would you stand on the foot of my ladder to stop it slipping?” Dad asked.
foundation
The foundations of New York’s skyscrapers rest on solid rock.
base (2) NOUN
A base is the headquarters of an organization.
centre
A humble office in a run-down district was the unlikely centre of a huge corporation.
headquarters
We arranged to meet at our scout headquarters at four o’clock.
HQ
“HQ calling Tank 5,” the colonel snapped.
bat NOUN
A bat is a specially shaped piece of wood with a handle, used for hitting a ball in some games.
You play with…
a bat in baseball, cricket, rounders, softball and table tennis.
a club in golf.
a cue in pool and snooker.
a racket in badminton, squash and tennis.
a stick in hockey.
battle NOUN
A battle is a fight between armed forces, or a struggle between two people or groups with different aims.
action
It was the first time that the young soldier had seen action.
conflict
There was a conflict of opinions: the red party on one side, the greens on the other.
struggle
The struggle for power between the king and the government was a long one.
beach NOUN
The beach is an area of sand or pebbles beside the sea.
sands
The lifeguards sprinted down the sands and plunged into the waves.
seashore
After the tanker disaster, much of the seashore was coated in an oily sludge.
seaside
Aaron loved to spend his holidays at the seaside.
shore
We walked along the shore, looking for attractive shells.
water’s edge
The water’s edge was a seething mass of turtles.
beat (1) VERB
If someone or something beats someone or something else, they hit them hard and repeatedly.
batter
The burglar had battered down the door.
flog
In Nelson’s day, sailors who stole would be flogged with a whip called a cat-o’-nine-tails.
pound
Waves pounded the shore as the wind rose to screaming pitch.
thrash
The bully threatened, “Tom Brown, I shall thrash the living daylights out of you.”
beat (2) VERB
If you beat someone in a race or game, you defeat them or do better than them.
conquer
William, Duke of Normandy, conquered England in 1066.
lick INFORMAL
Abdel really licked me in the 100 metres sprint race.
run rings round INFORMAL
Our speedy attackers ran rings round their lumbering defenders.
thrash INFORMAL
“It’s a safe bet that we’ll get thrashed when we play you,” said Tim.
wipe the floor with INFORMAL
Our school team wiped the floor with kids much bigger than they were.
beautiful ADJECTIVE
You say someone or something is beautiful if they are very pleasing to look at.
attractive
People say my sister is attractive.
gorgeous
I overheard Dad telling Mum she looked gorgeous.
lovely
The photograph, I had to admit, even made my aunt look lovely.
pretty
Even some garden weeds can look pretty at certain times.
stunning INFORMAL
The sunset over the mountains was nothing less than stunning.
ANTONYMS: ugly or unattractive
beauty (1) NOUN
If a person has beauty, they have the quality of being beautiful.
elegance
Every movement the duchess made had an elegance about it.
good looks
The actor possessed rugged good looks.
loveliness
The opera singer’s loveliness was not matched by her selfish behaviour.
beauty (2) NOUN
If a place has beauty, it has the quality of being beautiful.
