brandish
The definition for brandish is "To shake or wave menacingly." Used in a sentence: The baseball player was fined for brandishing his bat at the opposing pitcher.
demean
The definition for demean is "To lower status." Used in a sentence: The embarrassing photograph demeaned the candidate in the eyes of the voters.
moderate
The definition for moderate is "Tending toward the average." Used in a sentence: The best–selling writer was disappointed; his new novel was only a moderate success.
prune
The definition for prune is "To reduce by removing excess." Used in a sentence: The candidate pruned his speech so he would not exceed the time limit.
rancorous
The definition for rancorous is "Marked by deep ill–will." Used in a sentence: The rancorous competition between the two chess clubs actually ended in a brawl.