noun
1 process of doing sth
ADJECTIVE
▪ decisive , effective , firm , strong , vigorous
▪
He urged the government to take decisive ~ against music piracy.
▪ aggressive , violent
▪ immediate , prompt , swift , urgent
▪ appropriate
▪
Unless appropriate ~ is taken, our sales will decline.
▪ drastic , emergency
▪
The situation calls for drastic ~.
▪ collective , concerted , joint , united ( esp. BrE )
▪ direct , positive , unilateral
▪ corrective , evasive , remedial
▪ pre-emptive , preventative , preventive
▪ disciplinary , legal , military , strike
▪
Disciplinary ~ will be taken against students who cheat.
(see also industrial action )
▪ congressional ( esp. AmE ), government , governmental , legislative , political , state ( esp. AmE )
▪ affirmative ( esp. AmE )
▪
Affirmative ~ was most successful in creating opportunities for college-educated women.
VERB + ACTION
▪ take
▪
We'll take whatever ~ is necessary.
▪ call for
▪ agree on
▪
The leaders have agreed on joint ~ to combat terrorism.
▪ leap into , spring into , swing into
▪
The emergency services swung into ~ as soon as the disaster was reported.
▪ carry out , perform
▪
Only the priest can perform these ~s.
▪ galvanize sb into , prod sb into , spur sb into
▪
We have to galvanize people into ~.
▪ bring sth into , put sth into
▪
We need to put these ideas into ~.
▪ keep sb/sth out of , put sb/sth out of
▪
A fire has put the factory out of ~.
PREPOSITION
▪ in ~
▪
I have not yet seen the machines in ~.
▪ out of ~
▪
He is out of ~ following an ankle injury.
▪ ~ against
▪
~ against drug dealers
▪ ~ on
▪
The government is taking strong ~ on refugees.
PHRASES
▪ ~s speak louder than words ( saying )
▪ a course of ~
▪
Is this the best course of ~ to follow?
2 legal case
ADJECTIVE
▪ court
▪ civil , criminal , libel , tort
▪ class ( AmE )
VERB + ACTION
▪ bring , file , initiate , take
▪
I considered taking legal ~.
▪
They took out a libel ~ against the newspaper's owners.
▪
Her husband brought a civil ~ against her after their divorce.
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ against
3 fighting
ADJECTIVE
▪ combat ( esp. AmE ), enemy
▪
He was killed during enemy ~.
▪ terrorist
▪ covert
▪
paramilitary covert ~ teams working overseas
VERB + ACTION
▪ see
▪
I never saw ~ during the war.
PHRASES
▪ killed in ~ , missing in ~ , wounded in ~
▪
He was reported missing in ~.