Things that start with B
Lasting for a very short duration of time; concise.
brief
Instead of using the casual phrase "to look into" a problem, an academic paper will use this verb.
investigate
When two people share the exact same opinion or perspective on an issue, they "see eye to..."
eye
To make a bad, embarrassing, or unpleasant situation even worse by insulting or hurting the person affected is to "add fuel to the fire" or "rub salt in the..."
wound
Gentle, harmless, or non-threatening; in medicine, describing a condition that is not cancerous.
benign
Instead of saying "to speed up" a process or timeline, formal writing uses this verb.
expedite (or accelerate)
When someone makes a promise or claim that they later have to take back or admit was completely wrong, they are forced to "eat..."
humble pie
To totally confuse, puzzle, or frustrate someone's ability to understand.
baffle
Instead of saying "to wipe out" or "completely destroy" an illness or problem, formal contexts use this verb.
eradicate (or eliminate)
When someone changes their position completely during a debate to agree with the winning side, they "jump on the..."
bandwagon
Noisy, energetic, and rowdy; often used to describe crowds or excited children.
boisterous
Instead of saying "to put off" or delay an event until a later time, formal communication uses this verb.
postpone (or defer)
To concede a point or compromise slightly in order to reach a mutual agreement is to "meet someone..."
halfway
To walk or act extremely carefully around a sensitive person or controversial topic to avoid upsetting anyone is to "walk on..."
eggshells
A defensive wall or earthwork; figuratively, any strong protection against danger.
bulwark
Instead of saying "to make worse" when referring to a bad situation or conflict, formal analysis uses this verb.
exacerbate (or aggravate)
To play the role of an opponent in an argument purely to test the strength of the other person's reasoning is to play "the devil's..."
advocate
When you take a passive, secondary role while someone else takes full control of a vehicle, situation, or business, you "take a back..."
seat