Ramp up means to increase the level, amount or speed of something, usually step by step, so ramp up in a sentence reports growth that is deliberate rather than sudden. The phrasal verb is transitive… Read More »Ramp Up in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples

Choose solution vs resolution by asking whether you mean the answer itself or the act of settling something: solution names the fix, while resolution names the process, the decision or the commitment. A leaking pipe… Read More »Solution vs Resolution: Which Should You Use?

Gritty describes something full of grit, something harshly realistic, or someone showing tough determination. To use gritty in a sentence, put it before the noun: “a gritty surface”, “a gritty drama” or “a gritty performance”.… Read More »Gritty in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Espy is a verb meaning to catch sight of something, especially at a distance or after searching. To use espy in a sentence, put the thing seen straight after the verb: The lookout espied a… Read More »Espy in a Sentence: Meaning, Forms and Examples

Arraign is a verb meaning to bring an accused person before a court to answer a charge. To use arraign in a sentence, make the person the object and name the charge with for or… Read More »Arraign in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Try vs tried comes down to tense: use try, the base form, after to, can, will and do, and use tried, the past tense and past participle, for actions already finished. The two are forms… Read More »Try vs Tried: Which Form to Use in a Sentence

To use bourgeois in a sentence, decide whether you need the adjective that describes middle-class taste or the noun that names a middle-class person: “They moved to a bourgeois suburb.” The word carries a faintly… Read More »Bourgeois in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

To use dais in a sentence, picture a raised platform at the front of a room where speakers stand or honoured guests sit: “The head teacher stepped onto the dais to speak.” The noun is… Read More »Dais in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Pundit means a person who offers expert opinion to the public, especially on politics, culture or sport, and it usually carries a hint of the self-assured commentator: “A panel of pundits predicted the result.” To… Read More »Pundit in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

A tenet is a core principle or belief that a person, group or system holds to be true. To use tenet in a sentence, name whose belief it is and what the belief states: “Honesty… Read More »Tenet in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Expectorate is a formal, clinical verb meaning to cough up and spit out mucus from the throat or lungs. To use expectorate in a sentence, keep the register medical and name what is being cleared:… Read More »Expectorate in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples

Xmas vs Christmas comes down to register: use Christmas in formal, religious and professional writing, and reserve Xmas for casual greetings, signs and cramped layouts. Xmas is not a slur or a plot to remove… Read More »Xmas vs Christmas: Which Should You Use in Writing?

Gander means a male goose, and in informal English it also means a quick look. To use gander in a sentence, reach for take a gander at something when you mean glance: “Take a gander… Read More »Gander in a Sentence: Meaning and Examples

Carmine is a noun and adjective for a deep purplish red, and it also names the red dye behind the colour. To use carmine in a sentence, treat it as a colour word: “She wore… Read More »Carmine in a Sentence: Meaning, Shades & Examples

Exacting describes a demand that takes great effort, care or precision to meet. To use exacting in a sentence, place it before the noun it judges or after the verb be: “an exacting editor”, “the… Read More »Exacting in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Cut up is a phrasal verb that mainly means to cut something into pieces, though it also describes being wounded, upset or playful. To use cut up in a sentence, keep both parts with the… Read More »Cut Up in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice