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.
curtail
The definition for curtail is "To make less." Used in a sentence: Doreen decided to curtail her spending after she bounced a check.
discern
The definition for discern is "To recognize as separate as distinct." Used in a sentence: The pastry connoisseur was able to discern Swiss from Belgian chocolate.
gruff
The definition for gruff is "Rough or stern in manner or speech." Used in a sentence: Heidi's grandfather was gruff, barking stern orders and hardly smiling.
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.