Scribd
Upload
258 views8 pages

Newspaper Headlines Vocabulary

The document provides a list of common words used in newspaper headlines. It includes short definitions and examples of words like 'act', 'aid', 'alert', 'allege', 'appear', 'axe', 'back', 'ban', and others that are often used to write concise headlines due to space constraints in newspapers.

Uploaded by

Portia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
258 views8 pages

Newspaper Headlines Vocabulary

The document provides a list of common words used in newspaper headlines. It includes short definitions and examples of words like 'act', 'aid', 'alert', 'allege', 'appear', 'axe', 'back', 'ban', and others that are often used to write concise headlines due to space constraints in newspapers.

Uploaded by

Portia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

Newspaper headlines vocabulary

Posted by Manjusha Filed in English Writing

Short words save space, and so they are very common in newspaper headlines. The
following is a list of common headline vocabulary.

Reference: Practical English Usage by Michael Swan (Oxford University Press)

Act: take action; do something


POWER CRISIS: GOVERNMENT TO ACT

Aid: (noun) military or financial help


Aid (verb): to help
MORE AID FOR POOR COUNTRIES
UNIONS AID BANK STRIKERS

Alert: alarm, warning


TERROR ALERT IN THE CAPITAL

Allege: make an accusation


BLIND GIRL ALLEGES UNFAIR TREATMENT

Appear: appear in court accused of a crime


MP TO APPEAR ON DRUGS CHARGES

Axe (verb): abolish, close down


Axe (noun): abolition, closure
POSTAL SERVICES AXED
SMALL SCHOOLS FACE AXE

Back: support
OPPOSITION BACKS PM

Ban: forbid, refuse to allow something


GOVERNMENT BANS SMOKING IN PUBLIC

Bar: refuse
HOTEL BARS FOOTBALL FANS

Bid: attempt
WOMAN MAKES SUICIDE BID

Blast: explosion
Blast: criticize violently
BLAST AT AIRPORT
OPPOSITION BLASTS PM

Blaze: fire
SIX DIE IN TEMPLE BLAZE

Blow: bad news, unfortunate happening


SMITH ILL: BLOW TO WORLD CUP HOPES

Bond: political or business association


INDIA CUTS TRADE BONDS WITH CHINA

Boom: big increase; prosperous period


ECONOMIC BOOM: URBAN RICH TO BENEFIT

Boost: encourage
GOVERNMENT PLANS TO BOOST EXPORTS

Brink: edge of disaster


GLOBAL WARMING: EARTH ON BRINK OF DISASTER

Call for: demand/ appeal for


TRADE UNIONS CALL FOR STRIKE

Campaign: organized effort to achieve social or political result


MP LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR TAX REFORMS

Claim (verb): make a statement that something is true


US SCIENTISTS CLAIM CANCER BREAKTHROUGH

Clamp down on: deal firmly with


POLICE TO CLAMP DOWN ON EVE TEASING

Clash: quarrel, fight


STUDENTS CLASH WITH POLICE

Clear: find innocent


MP CLEARED ON DRUG CHARGES

Con: swindle
TEENEGERS CON WIDOW OUT OF LIFE SAVINGS

Crackdown: firm application of the law


GOVERNMENT PROMISES CRACKDOWN ON INFILTRATORS

Crash: failure
TEN PEOPLE DIE IN PLANE CRASH
Curb: restrict
GOVERNMENT TO CURB ILLICIT LIQUOR TRADE

Cut: reduce
US CUTS AID TO INDIA

Dash: make quick journey


PM IN DASH TO BLAST HOSPITAL

Deadlock: disagreement that cannot be solved


DEADLOCK IN INDO-US NUCLEAR DEAL

Deal: agreement
INDIA SIGNS NUCLEAR DEAL WITH US

Drive: united effort


DRIVE TO SAVE PLANET

Drop (verb): give up; get rid of


Drop (noun): fall
GOVERNMENT TO DROP TERROR REFORMS
DROP IN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

Edge: move gradually


WORLD EDGES TOWARDS WAR

Firm: determined not to change


PM FIRM ON TAX REFORMS

Flak: heavy criticism


MINISTER FACES FLAK OVER RACIAL REMARKS

Foil: prevent somebody from succeeding


GUARD FOILS BANK ROBBERY BID

Gag: censor; prevent from speaking


AFRICAN PRESIDENT ACTS TO GAG PRESS

Go: resign; be lost, disappear


PM TO GO?

Go for: be sold for


PICASSO PAINTING GOES FOR $5 MILLION
Go-ahead: approval
NUKE-PLAN GETS GO-AHEAD

Grab: take violently


INDIANS GRAB SHARES IN FOREIGN COMPANIES

Grip: control; hold tightly


COLD WAVE GRIPS COUNTRY

Gun down: shoot


POLICE GUN DOWN TERRORISTS.

Hail: welcome; praise


PM HAILS PEACE PLAN

Halt: stop
AUTOMOBILE PLANT TO HALT PRODUCTION

Haul: amount stolen in robbery, or seized by police or customs


MAJOR ARMS HAUL IN CAPITAL

Head for: move towards


ECONOMY HEADING FOR DISASTER, EXPERTS WARN

Hike: rise in costs, prices etc.


INTEREST HIKE WILL HIT REAL ESTATE MARKET

Hit: affect badly


HEAVY RAINS HIT TRANSPORT

Hit out at: attack with words


PM HITS OUT AT CRITICS

Hitch: problem that causes delay


LAST-MINUTE HITCH DELAYS SATELLITE LAUNCH

Hold: arrest; keep under arrest


POLICE HOLD TERROR SUSPECT

Key: important
KEY WITNESS IN THE POACHING CASE VANISHES

Landslide: victory by a large majority in election


LANDSLIDE FOR DEMOCRATS
Lash: criticize violently
OPPOSITION LASHES GOVERNMENT REFORMS

Lead: clue (in police enquiry)


LEAD IN RESORT MURDER CASE

Leak: unofficial publication of secret information


PM FURIOUS OVER TAX PLAN LEAKS

Leap: big increase


LEAP IN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

Life: imprisonment for life


LIFE FOR SERIAL MURDERER

Loom: threaten to happen


VAT ON FOOD: NEW ROW LOOMS

Mar: spoil
VIOLENCE MARS CUP FINAL

Mission: delegation (official group sent to a conference etc)


UN MISSION ARRIVES TODAY

Mob: angry crowd


Mob: organized crime/Mafia
INFANT DIES: MOBS ATTACK HOSPITAL
MOB LEADERS HELD

Move: step towards a particular result (often political)


MOVE TO BOOST TRADE LINKS WITH CHINA

Nail: force somebody to admit the truth


CRIME BRANCH NAILS THE ACCUSED

Odds: chances, probability


MAYOR RE-ELECTED AGAINST THE ODDS

Opt (for) : choose


WALES OPTS FOR INDEPENDENCE

Oust: drive out, replace


DEMOCRATS OUSTED IN UNION ELECTIONS
Over: about; on the subject of, because of
ROW OVER VAT ON FOOD

Pact: agreement
DEFENCE PACT GETS CABINET NOD

Peak: high point


INFLATION HITS NEW PEAK

Peg: hold (prices etc) at present level


BANKS PEG INTEREST RATES

Plea: call for help


BIG RESPONSE TO PLEA FOR FLOOD AID

Press: the newspapers


BID TO GAG PRESS OVER DEFENCE SPENDING

Press for: ask for urgently


OPPOSITION PRESS FOR ENQUIRY ON DEFENCE SCAM

Pull out: withdraw


PAKISTAN PULLS OUT OF PEACE TALKS WITH INDIA

Push for: ask for, encourage


SCHOOLS PUSH FOR MORE CASH

Quit: resign, leave


OPPOSITION LEADER QUITS

Raid: enter and search


POLICE RAID DUCHESSS FLAT

Rampage: riot
HOOLIGANS RAMPAGE THROUGH STREETS

Rap: criticize
DOCTORS RAP HEALTH MINISTRY PLANS

Riddle: mystery
MISSING TEENAGER RIDDLE: TWO MEN HELD

Rift: division, disagreement


LABOUR RIFT OVER DEFENCE POLICY
Rock: shock, shake
BANK SEX SCANDAL ROCKS THE CITY
JAPAN ROCKED BY QUAKE

Row: noisy disagreement, quarrel


NEW ROW OVER WAGE CUTS

Rule out: reject the possibility of


PM RULES OUT MIDTERM ELECTION

Sack: dismissal from job


STRIKING DOCTORS FACE SACK

Scare: public alarm, alarming rumour


BIRD FLU SCARE IN MIDDLE EAST

Scrap: throw out as useless


GOVERNMENT SCRAPS DEFENCE DEAL WITH ISRAEL

Seize: take especially in police and customs searches


SMUGGLED ARMS SEIZED AT AIRPORT

Set to: ready to; about to


PROPERTY PRIZES SET TO RISE

Slam: criticize violently


OPPOSITION SLAMS DEFENCE POLICY

Slash: cut, reduce drastically


GOVERNMENT TO SLASH HEALTH EXPENDITURE

Slump: fall (economic)


EXPORTERS FEAR NEW SLUMP

Spark: cause to start


REFEREES DECISION SPARKS RIOT

Spree: wild spending expenditure


BUS DRIVER SPENDS MILLIONS IN CREDIT-CARD SPREE

Stake: financial interest


GERMANS BUY STAKE IN BRITISH AIRWAYS

Storm out of: leave angrily


TRADE UNION LEADERS STORM OUT OF MEETING WITH MINISTER
Toll: number killed
QUAKE TOLL MAY RISE

Urge: encourage
ENVIRONMENTALISTS URGE GOVERNMENTS TO ACT ON POLLUTION

Vow: promise
EXILED PRESIDENT VOWS TO RETURN

You might also like