GMAT vocabulary: conflict, strategy and competition.
55 GMAT words about conflict, strategy and competition — each with a definition, an example sentence, and a memory cue.
The GMAT doesn't quiz definitions, but its Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights passages assume you read words like these without slowing down — an unfamiliar term in a Critical Reasoning stem costs time you don't have. Studying a whole theme at once builds that recognition: you learn not just what each word means, but how it differs from its neighbors.
Read the definition, then the example, then the memory cue. Come back a few days later and cover the definitions — recalling a word cold is what fixes it, and rereading it is not. Prefer paper? The printable version has the same 55 words ready to print.
The 55 words
Alphabetical, grouped by letter. Everything in the Conflict, Strategy & Competition guide.
Aacrimony – at odds5 words
Bitterness or ill feeling; harsh and angry language or behavior
The acrimony between the two factions made any compromise impossible.
Memory cueAcrimony turns a disagreement into bitter, acid-tasting hostility.
Involving conflict or opposition between parties
The adversarial nature of the two-party system often prevents meaningful legislative compromise.
Memory cueAdversarial parties face each other as adversaries, ready to oppose.
A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion
His antipathy toward modern art was well known among his colleagues.
Memory cueAntipathy is an anti-feeling: deep dislike pushing someone away.
Directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible
The two philosophers held antithetical views on free will, yet their debates advanced the field enormously.
Memory cueAntithetical ideas stand at opposite ends of a seesaw.
In conflict or disagreement
The committee's recommendations were at odds with the conclusions reached by the independent auditors.
Memory cueTwo people at odds pull opposite ends of the same rope.
Bbelies – besieged2 words
Contradicts; gives a false impression of; misrepresents
The calm surface of the lake belies the powerful currents that have claimed several swimmers over the years.
Memory cueA cheerful mask belies the sadness concealed behind it.
Surrounded and harassed; troubled persistently
Besieged by reporters after the verdict, the attorney offered only a brief statement before retreating indoors.
Memory cueA besieged castle is surrounded while attacks and pressure never stop.
Ccapitulate – counterproductive8 words
To cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; to surrender
After months of negotiation, the company finally capitulated to the union's demands.
Memory cueCapitulate by dropping the shield and raising a surrender flag.
To persuade someone to do something by using force or threats
The regime coerced citizens into signing loyalty pledges under threat of imprisonment.
Memory cueTo coerce someone, replace free choice with force or threats.
A conflict between opposing ideas, interests, or forces
The collision between traditional farming practices and modern agribusiness reshaped the rural economy.
Memory cueA collision occurs when opposing forces or ideas crash together.
Intended to placate or pacify; aimed at making peace
After days of heated debate, the leader struck a conciliatory tone in his closing remarks.
Memory cueA conciliatory gesture extends a peaceful hand to reduce hostility.
General agreement among a group of people
After three days of debate, the committee reached a consensus that the endangered species deserved full legal protection.
Memory cueConsensus is a circle of different hands all pointing to the same checked answer.
Asserted or maintained as a position in an argument
The defense attorney contended that the prosecution's timeline was physically impossible given the distance involved.
Memory cueThe debater contended, firmly maintaining a position against opposing claims.
Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial
The contentious proposal to rezone the neighborhood divided the community.
Memory cueA contentious proposal becomes a tug-of- war rope because it is likely to provoke disagreement.
Having the opposite of the desired effect; tending to hinder rather than help
Punishing employees for honest mistakes proved counterproductive, as it discouraged them from reporting errors.
Memory cueA counterproductive action walks backward from the very goal it seeks.
Ddebunking – divestiture12 words
Exposing the falseness or hollowness of a myth, belief, or idea
The scientist devoted her career to debunking pseudoscientific claims about the healing powers of crystals.
Memory cueDebunking pops a false belief like an empty, overinflated balloon.
To turn aside or cause to change direction; to divert
The spokesperson attempted to deflect attention from the scandal by emphasizing the company's charitable donations.
Memory cueA shield deflects an arrow by turning it aside.
Disagreeing or incongruous; characterized by conflict
The discordant views within the committee made it impossible to reach consensus.
Memory cueDiscordant notes clash rather than agreeing in harmony.
Caused to seem false or unreliable; undermined the good reputation of
The theory was thoroughly discredited after multiple laboratories failed to replicate the original results.
Memory cueOnce discredited, a claim loses both trust and its good reputation.
Causing harm to the good reputation of; proving unworthy of trust
The leaked emails played a role in discrediting the organization's claims of political neutrality.
Memory cueDiscrediting evidence punches holes in a source’s reliability and reputation.
To cause to vanish; to drive away (a doubt, feeling, or belief)
The discovery of the fossil record dispelled the long- held belief that the species had originated on a different continent.
Memory cueMorning sunlight dispelled the fog, causing it to vanish.
The expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously held or officially sanctioned
The lone dissent on the court argued that the majority opinion fundamentally misread the constitutional provision.
Memory cueOne opinion arrow pointing away from the majority shows dissent.
Not alike; different
Although the two ecosystems appear dissimilar on the surface, they share remarkably similar food web structures.
Memory cueDissimilar objects share no matching pattern and look clearly different.
Lack of harmony or agreement; a tension between conflicting elements
The cognitive dissonance experienced by voters who supported contradictory policies was widely studied.
Memory cueDissonance sounds like musical notes grinding without harmony or agreement.
The process or state of separating or moving apart; difference of opinions
The divergence in economic performance between the two regions widened dramatically after the trade agreement took effect.
Memory cueAt divergence, two paths separate and move farther apart.
Tending to develop in different directions; differing from each other
The committee members held such divergent opinions that reaching a unanimous recommendation proved impossible.
Memory cueDivergent paths separate and develop in different directions.
The sale or disposal of a business unit, asset, or investment.
The board approved the divestiture of its shipping division so management could concentrate on software services.
Memory cueDIVEST means remove an investment; a divestiture sends one business piece out the door.
Eeschew1 word
To deliberately avoid using; to abstain from
The author chose to eschew conventional narrative structure in favor of a fragmented approach.
Memory cueTo eschew sweets, deliberately step around every dessert tray.
Ffoment – fractious3 words
To instigate or stir up an undesirable sentiment or course of action
The propaganda was designed to foment distrust among different ethnic groups.
Memory cueTo foment unrest, fan small sparks until public trouble catches fire.
To abandon or renounce; to give up or turn away from
The scientist refused to forsake her unpopular theory, and vindication came when new evidence proved her right.
Memory cueTo forsake a cause, abandon it and turn away.
Easily irritated; unruly and difficult to control
The fractious coalition threatened to splinter over disagreements about tax policy.
Memory cueA fractious child resists control and erupts into irritable quarrels.
Iiconoclastic – intractable7 words
Attacking or challenging cherished beliefs or established institutions
The filmmaker's iconoclastic approach to the genre earned equal measures of praise and condemnation.
Memory cueAn iconoclastic argument attacks a belief others treat as untouchable.
Unable to be placated or appeased; relentless
The implacable opposition of the conservative faction doomed the reform effort.
Memory cueAn implacable enemy cannot be soothed, persuaded, or stopped.
To actively break the terms of a law or agreement; to violate
The patent holder argued that the competitor's product would infringe on intellectual property rights worth millions.
Memory cueTo infringe a right, cross its legal boundary and violate it.
Hindered, restrained, or prevented (an action or process)
Fear of public ridicule inhibited many scientists from pursuing research on topics considered fringe.
Memory cueAn inhibited performer freezes inside an invisible cage of self-consciousness.
Hindering or restraining; preventing or holding back
The regulation had the unintended effect of inhibiting the very innovation it was supposed to promote.
Memory cueAn inhibiting force acts like a brake, restraining movement or development.
Unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, or behavior that differ from one's own
The regime's intolerance of dissent extended even to the mildest criticism published in obscure academic journals.
Memory cueIntolerance closes the door on beliefs or behavior different from one’s own.
Hard to control or deal with; stubbornly resistant
The conflict proved intractable, resisting decades of peace negotiations and international intervention.
Memory cueAn intractable problem fights every attempt to control or solve it.
Mmerger1 word
The combination of two companies into a single business organization.
Regulators reviewed the merger to determine whether the combined company would reduce competition in regional markets.
Memory cueTwo company logos flow into one new logo during a merger.
Nnegate1 word
To make ineffective; to nullify; to deny the existence or truth of
One weak link in the chain of evidence was enough to negate the prosecution's entire argument.
Memory cueA large zero cancels the statement and negates its effect.
Oopportunity1 word
A favorable set of circumstances that makes a beneficial action or outcome possible.
Falling equipment prices created an opportunity for the manufacturer to automate without increasing its total budget.
Memory cueAn opportunity is an open door that conditions have made worth entering.
Ppolemical – prevailed over3 words
Relating to a strong verbal or written attack; strongly critical or controversial
The pamphlet was polemical in tone, attacking the opposition with a ferocity that left no room for nuance.
Memory cueA polemical essay enters verbal combat with a strong controversial attack.
To prevent; to make impossible in advance
A prior conviction does not automatically preclude a defendant from receiving a lenient sentence.
Memory cueA locked gate precludes entry by making it impossible beforehand.
Proved more powerful than; triumphed over
Reason and evidence ultimately prevailed over superstition, though the process took the better part of a century.
Memory cueThe stronger force prevailed over its opponent and ultimately triumphed.
Rrancor – repudiate5 words
Bitterness or resentfulness, especially long-standing
Despite the rancor of the election campaign, the two candidates shook hands and pledged to work together.
Memory cueRancor stores old bitterness until resentment has become long-standing.
Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude; stubbornly resistant to authority or control
The recalcitrant student refused to follow the dress code, viewing it as an infringement on personal expression.
Memory cueA recalcitrant mule locks its feet and stubbornly resists every command.
To say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered heretical
Under enormous political pressure, the scientist recanted his controversial findings.
Memory cueRecant a belief by publicly crossing out and withdrawing the former claim.
Stated again or repeatedly, for emphasis or clarity
The health official reiterated the importance of vaccination, repeating the message at every press conference for weeks.
Memory cueReiterated words return again for added emphasis or clarity.
To refuse to accept or be associated with; to deny the truth or validity of
The organization repudiated the extremist views expressed by its former member.
Memory cueRepudiate a claim by pushing it away and refusing association with it.
Sscalability – synergy5 words
The capacity of a system or business to handle substantial growth without losing efficiency.
Investors questioned the restaurant's scalability because each new location required years of specialized staff training.
Memory cueScalability lets a small ladder extend upward without its rungs breaking under added weight.
A split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties
The schism within the party left it unable to present a unified front in the general election.
Memory cueA schism cracks one group into strongly opposed sections.
The undermining of the power and authority of an established system
The novel's subversion of fairy-tale conventions challenges readers to question the stories they were raised on.
Memory cueSubversion quietly digs beneath an established system to undermine its authority.
To undermine the power and authority of; to overthrow
The satirist used humor to subvert the official narrative promoted by state media.
Memory cueTo subvert a structure, weaken its foundations from below.
An added benefit created when combined parts perform better together than they would separately.
The merger promised synergy by pairing one company's distribution network with the other's popular product line.
Memory cueTwo gears interlock and produce more motion together; that extra joint effect is synergy.
Uundermines1 word
Weakens the foundation of; gradually erodes the strength of
Persistent corruption undermines public trust in institutions and discourages civic participation.
Memory cueWater undermines a wall by gradually weakening its hidden foundation.
The printable Conflict, Strategy & Competition guide has all 55 words, ready to print. All 10 themes (550 words) are on the guide index; to drill them interactively, use the GMAT flashcards.