A demand; a stake; a goal（要求、狙い）

→“The nation has proceeded to up the ante in the trade disputes with the neighboring countries.”

→“We first thought that the new teacher is rather meek and passive. But from the second week on, he gradually raised the ante and began to assign us volumes of homework daily.”

→“The police expressed their intention to up the ante by offering a Y10-million reward for any tips leading to the arrest of the terrorist.”

Deceptive; false（まやかしの、偽りの）

→“She accused me of a bogus claim that I had tried to use her credit card.”

→“The man was arrested for a bogus marriage to three illegal immigrant women.”

A trustworthy aide, colleague or friend（信頼できる腹心、何でも打ち明けることのできる親友）

→“He has been the President’s confidant ever since he took office.”

→“We all need a confidant to divulge our secrets and concerns to.”

A thorough investigation（徹底捜査）

→“We found a puppy on the beach. A dragnet of sorts ensued among us to identify the owner.”

→“The bank robbers eluded the authorities for 6 months, but were finally caught in the police dragnet.”

Momentary; fleeting; transient（はかない、永続性のない）

→“Physical pleasures are only evanescent.”

→“The people’s hope for political freedom proved evanescent when the new regime fell apart.”

To playfully run up and down（嬉しそうにはしゃぎまわる）

→“I love having my lunch in the park because I can watch little children frolic there.”

→“While we flocked to the stove in the living room, our dog was frolicking in the snow.”

Frighteningly gross and unpleasant（おそれおののくように不快な）

→“I witnessed a traffic accident. It was a grisly spectacle.”

→“The haunted house looks grisly, standing alone on a hill.”

→“US cigarette makers are now obligated to print grisly images on their packages.”

Anger（怒り）

→“The recent salary cut has raised the ire of the employees.”

→“Feelings of oppression among the populace help fuel ire against the government.”

A rank or category of certain quality（ある条件や資格を満たすランクや階級）

→“He is not so experienced or talented. He is definitely not in the same league as you.”

→“I used to think that Canada was in a different league when it comes to hockey, but not any longer.”

→“Japanese literature is very unique. It belongs in a league of its own.”

A recommendation; an advertisement（推薦、宣伝）

→“While touring the country, the actor put in a plug for his recently published autobiography.”

→“Lady Gaga visited Japan and got in a plug for its tourism, proclaiming to the world that Japan is safe.”

Dissatisfied and growing impatient or unstable（不満や不安要因が溜まり積もっていく）

→“The millions of unemployed youth are getting increasingly restive.”

→“The already restive town was struck by a new deadly event.”

→“The opposition party is growing restive inside the ruling coalition.”

Behavior or activity that is bad or corrupt in a rather minor way（多少悪質の行動や行為）

→“When he approached me with a proposal for business partnership, I flatly said no. I would rather not be associated with his shenanigans.”

→“The Japan Police Agency is on the defensive for the interrogation shenanigans that reportedly took place over the celebrated bank robbery.”

A whirlwind; an unavoidable situation or event that has a strong impact on people’s lives or outlooks（渦巻き、不可避で影響多大な状況や出来事）

→“When I visited my home country for the first time in 20 years, I was caught in a vortex of conflicting emotions.”

→“The financial industry is still trapped in the debt crisis’s vortex.”

A large quantity of something, to the extent of causing confusion（混乱をきたすくらいたくさんの）

→“A welter of reporters showed up for the prime minister’s press conference.”

→“Oh, this is not an easy topic. Check it out at the National Library. You will find a welter of books and articles on the subject.”