During the election campaign, the press ___________ the mayor with accusations about his private life. It soon became clear he would never get reelected.

Brett was always ___________ about his appearance, so his co-workers were shocked when he showed up to work one day with messy hair and a wrinkled shirt.

Zara demonstrated her athletic ___________ by becoming the youngest player ever to win a national tennis tournament.

The repairperson said the roof had been ___________ damaged by the hurricane and would need to be completely replaced.

General Anderson knew that, since the enemy army was ___________ in caves near the top of a mountain, it would be almost impossible to defeat.

A: I'd be happy to drive you to the airport tomorrow.
B: Well, if it's no ___________, I'll accept your offer. It would really help me out.

Security guards caught a young man trying to ___________ a video camera into the venue so he could illegally film the concert.

When plans for a new highway were announced at the town meeting, local residents protested angrily. It was difficult to hear the chairperson because of all the ___________.

Although the sales deal seemed attractive, the CEO felt there were many points that required further ___________ before a final agreement could be reached.

People should be suspicious of _______ e-mails claiming to come from official sources. Many are sent by criminals trying to gain access to people's bank accounts.

Despite his ___________ health, Keith remained positive. He did his best not to let his illness stop him from enjoying his life.

DNA testing finally ___________ the man of all charges, and he was set free after having spent five years in prison.