SAT VOCABULARY

These words were generated using a top-hits list and are those most likely to recur on the SAT
every year. They have been organized by theme and by difficulty. The Most Important 500 Words
is a word list of medium difficulty and a good starting point for most students. The two Basic Word
Lists contain easier vocabulary for students who need an easier starting point. The two Challenging
Word Lists contain more difficult vocabulary for students needing a challenge.

Most Important 500 Words

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Word
abstruse
apt
cajole
compendious
concur
delineate
digress(ion)
elucidate
embroil(ed)

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empiric(al)
enumerate
epitome, epitomize
equivocal
exemplar
exhort
expedient
fathom (verb)
flagrant
florid(ity)
incongruity,
incongruous
ineffable
innuendo
laconic
lucid
nebulous
nuance
paradigm
prattle
pronouncement
proponent
prosaic

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Definition
difficult to understand
appropriate, inclined
coax
succinct
agree
list, explain
stray from the subject at hand
clarify
involve in an argument or conflict
based on observation and experiment
(not theory)
list
representative example
ambiguous
representative example
encourage
useful
understand
evident, obvious
flushed, flowery

Group
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language

inappropriateness, discrepancy
impossible to express in words
implicit suggestion
concise
clear, easily understood
vague
subtle difference
clear example
babble
formal declaration
supporter
lacking imagination, dull

argument and language

argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language

Ivy Global

argument and language

argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language

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rebuttal
recant
repudiate
rescind
rhetoric(al),
rhetorician
scrutinize, scrutiny
simile
tangential

defense, counterargument
reject
reject
annul, retract
(related to) elegant speech/writing,
elegant speaker/writer
examine carefully
comparison
digressive, irrelevant
extensive written argument about some
treatise
topic
verbose
wordy, long-winded
aura
air, feeling
bombastic
pompous
buoyant
cheerful, floating
callous
insensitive
cantankerous(ness) irritable
capricious
fickle
caustic
bitter
convivial
sociable, lively
demonstrative
openly emotional
despondent
sad, depressed
diffident, diffidence shy
discomfited
disappointed, defeated
disillusionment
disenchantment, disappointment
dispassionate
unemotional
elated, elation
joyful
evoke
bring about, stir up
felicitous
well-suited, happy
forlorn
sad
fortitude
courage
furor
commotion, anger
histrionic
excessively dramatic or emotional
idyllic
simply tranquil
impetuous
rash, passionate
irate
angry
jaded
tired, bored
jocular
cheerful
jovial
cheerful
maudlin
overly sentimental
melancholy
bleak
mercurial
fickle
morose
depressed
peevish
unpleasant
penchant
preference
done routinely with little interest or
perfunctory
care
petulant
irritable

Ivy Global

argument and language

argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
argument and language
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions

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profound,
profundity
propensity
repugnant
reticent, reticence
sanguine
solace
somber
temperamental
trepidation
truculent,
truculence
vicarious
wrath
alacrity
dormant
ebullient
equanimity
hardy
indolent
insipid
instigate
invoke
lackadaisical
laggard
languid
listless
lull
pacify
placate
placid
raucous
rouse, rousing
scintillating
stagnant,
stagnation
static (adjective)
torpor
unruly
vapid
abhor, abhorrence
acrimony
amiable
amicable
antipathy
congenial
disputatious

intense, significant
inclination, tendency
offensive, disgusting
emotionally reserved
cheerfully confident, optimistic
comfort, consolation
bleak
moody
apprehension

emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions
emotions

aggressive, bad-tempered
felt indirectly by imagining someone
else's experiences
anger
eagerness
inactive
enthusiastic
calmness
robust, sturdy
lazy
dull, boring
provoke, start
call forth, appeal to
lacking energy, lethargic
lazy person
inactive, dreamy
languid, sluggish
short period of calm
soothe, calm
calm someone down
calm
harsh, rowdy
provoke, excite
lively, effervescent

emotions

not moving
not moving
drowsiness, apathy
boisterous, unrestrained
dull, uninteresting
hatred
bitter animosity
friendly
friendly
dislike
pleasant
quarrelsome

energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies

Ivy Global

emotions
emotions
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy
energy

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distaste
empathetic,
empathy
estrange,
estrangement
exacting
genial
officious
parody
rancor(ous)
rapport
recluse, reclusive
satire, satirical,
satirize
solicitous(ness)
unwitting
amenable
aspire
assiduous
assuage
compliant,
compliance
dauntless
debacle
debilitate(d)
debunk
deference,
deferential
deterrent
disheartening
dispel
disquiet(ing)
facile
futile, futility
gallant(ry)
impasse
indomitable
intrepid
onerous
servile
steadfast
subservient
tenacious, tenacity
tenuous
tribulation
vying
acumen

dislike, aversion

friends and enemies

compassionate

friends and enemies

alienate, alienation
demanding, severe requirements
friendly
meddlesome, interfering
intentional mockery
bitter resentment
relationship
hermit

friends and enemies

friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies
friends and enemies

sarcastic imitation
expressing care or concern, often too
much
unintentional
yielding
strive for
diligent
relieve, appease

friends and enemies

yielding
courageous
failure
weaken(ed)
prove wrong

give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?

respectful submission, yielding

hindrance, impediment
discouraging
to drive away or disprove
(causing) anxiety
superficial, effortless
hopeless
courageous
obstacle
too strong to be defeated
courageous
difficult, trying
submissive, subservient
not yielding
yielding
stubborn, determined
insignificant, flimsy
suffering
striving
insightfulness

give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?
knowledge and skill

Ivy Global

friends and enemies

friends and enemies
give up?
give up?
give up?
give up?

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adept
adroit
anthropology
boorish,
boorishness
cerebral
churlish
conscientious
cosmopolitan
credulity,
credulous
didactic
discern, discerning
epiphany
erudite, erudition
esoteric
fastidious
finesse
flummox
folly
foolhardy
grandiose
inane
ineptitude
ingenuous
lithe
neophyte
oversight
painstaking
pedant, pedantic,
pedantry
precocious
provincial
punctilious
pundit
quixotic
sage
scrupulous
shrewd
slipshod
stupefy,
stupefaction
susceptible
tractable
uncanny
uncouth
unfathomable

skillful
skillful
study of human beings

knowledge and skill

knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill

crude
intellectual
vulgar, boorish
careful
sophisticated, urbane

knowledge and skill

knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill

the trait of trusting others too much

(often excessively) morally instructive
perceive, perceptive
sudden realization
scholarly
understood only by a few
careful
tact, elegant skill
confuse
foolishness
recklessly daring
pompous, pretentious
senseless, stupid
incompetence
unsophisticated and trusting, nave
graceful, supple
beginner
mistake
careful
a person who makes a great show of his
knowledge
early development in maturity and
intelligence
narrow-minded, unsophisticated
meticulous, attentive to detail
a knowledgeable commentator
foolish
wise
very careful and precise
astute, smart
careless, sloppy

knowledge and skill

knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill

bewilder
easily influenced or affected
easily managed or controlled
extraordinary, weird
crude
incomprehensible, unbelievable

knowledge and skill

knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill

Ivy Global

knowledge and skill

knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill

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ungainly
urbane

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venerable
virtuoso, virtuosity
wry

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corroborate
decorum, decorous
equitable
illicit
incriminate
indict(ment)
indignant
indulgent
judicious
ratify
sanction (verb)
vindicate,
vindication
altruistic, altruism
avarice
benevolent
bequeath
depreciation,
depreciatory
destitute
exorbitant
frugal(ity)
lucrative
luxuriant
magnanimity,
magnanimous
mercenary
miserly

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patronize
penurious
perquisite
philanthropist,
philanthropic
procure
provident
squander
venal(ity)
vocation
aberration
accost

clumsy
elegant, sophisticated
commanding respect because of age,
dignity
one with exceptional musical skill
clever or grim sense of humor
strengthen or support with additional
evidence
order, politeness
even-handed
illegal
accuse someone of a crime
formally accuse of a crime
angered (by injustice)
lenient
fair
approve, confirm
formally approve

knowledge and skill

knowledge and skill

clear of blame or suspicion

generous
greed
generous
hand down (through a will)

law and order

money
money
money
money

decrease in value
poor
too expensive
cheap(ness)
profitable
lush, elaborate

money
money
money
money
money
money

generosity, generous
motivated by money
cheap, stingy
financially support, be condescending
towards
cheap, stingy
additional payment, bonus

money
money
money

someone who supports charity

get or provide
prudent, frugal
waste
willing to accept bribes
career
deviation, not normal
confront

money
money
money
money
money
money
politics and tradition
politics and tradition

Ivy Global

knowledge and skill

knowledge and skill
knowledge and skill
law and order
law and order
law and order
law and order
law and order
law and order
law and order
law and order
law and order
law and order
law and order

money
money
money

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adamant
apathetic, apathy
ascendancy

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ascetic, asceticism
august
autocrat, autocratic
automaton
banal

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bipartisanship
depose
derivative
desecration
despot

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doctrine

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dogmatic
eclectic
egalitarian
exhibitionist,
exhibitionistic
faction
fanaticism
hackneyed

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heresy, heretic
idiosyncracy,
idiosyncratic
orthodox

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pacifist
partisan
piety, pious
polemical
renounce
reverent
sanctity
staunch
stock (adjective)
strident

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subversive
supplant
sycophant
toady
totalitarian

not yielding
lacking interest
influence, domination
one who practices self-denial as a
spiritual discipline
dignified
dictator, dictatorial
a person who acts like a robot
common
supported by two opposing groups
(political parties)
dethrone, remove from power
not original
violate the sacredness of
dictator
religious, political, or philosophical
principles or teachings
tending to force one's own opinions on
other people
from diverse sources
belief in equality
deliberately behaving a certain way to
attract attention
group within a larger group
excessive enthusiasm
common
belief contrary to the established
opinion

politics and tradition

politics and tradition
politics and tradition

unique personal trait, quirky

conservative, traditional

politics and tradition

politics and tradition

one who completely opposes violence

someone with biased beliefs
religious devotion
controversial
reject
respectful, pious
holiness
strong and loyal
standard, hackneyed
loud and harsh
one who intends to overthrow the
government
to take the place of
suck up, flatterer
suck-up
undemocratic, rigid political control

politics and tradition

politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition

Ivy Global

politics and tradition

politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition

politics and tradition

politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition
politics and tradition

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trite
usurp
zealot
assail
berate
castigate
censorious
censure
chastise
chide
consternation
contempt(uous)
contemptible
culpable
denigrate
deprecate
deride
derogatory,
derogate
discount (verb)
disparage
eulogy, eulogize
extol
laud, laudatory
noxious
reprehensible
reprimand
reproach
scathing
slight (verb)
spurn
tirade
tout
affected
chagrin
complacency,
complacent
conciliate,
conciliatory
degradation
demure, demurral
flippant, flippancy
hubris
ignominy,
ignominious
imperious
impudence,
impudent

common
seize power without authority
fanatic
belittle
scold harshly
belittle
harshly critical
scold
belittle
belittle
dismay
disdainful
despicable
blameworthy
belittle
disapprove, belittle
make fun of

politics and tradition

politics and tradition
politics and tradition
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism

disparaging, belittling
disregard
belittle
praising speech
praise
praise
poisonous
blameworthy
belittle
scold
harshly critical
insult, snub
reject with contempt
critical speech
praise
haughty
mortification

praise and criticism

praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
praise and criticism
pride
pride

self-satisfaction, smugness

pride

compromising, apologizing
humiliation
overly modest
disrespectful
arrogance

pride
pride
pride
pride
pride

dishonor, humiliation
arrogant

pride
pride

disrespectful, insolent

pride

Ivy Global

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insolence, insolent
irreverent,
irreverence
notoriety,
notorious
obdurate
obstinate, -acy
opportunist,
opportunistic
peremptory
presumptuous
recalcitrant
self-righteous
self-serving
supercilious
unabashed
wayward
bog
coalesce
confluence
disseminate
effervesce
elicit
indigenous
induce
inert, inertia
inherent
multifarious
precipitate
abate
allocate
atrophy
attenuate
burgeon
circumscribe
copious
dearth
devoid
diffuse
diminutive,
diminution
efface(ment)
encompass
encroaching
excavate
extricate
gargantuan

disrespectful

pride

disrespectful

pride

infamous, ill fame

stubborn
stubborn(ness)
a person who takes advantage of
opportunities, often unethically
bossy, decisive
too bold, arrogant
stubborn
smug, holier-than-thou
selfish
arrogant
not embarrassed
selfish, stubborn
marsh, swamp
blend, fuse
a place where things merge or flow
together
scatter widely
bubble, fizz
bring about
native to a region
cause
not moving or active
intrinsic, natural
many types
outcome
lessen
assign, portion
waste away
weaken, reduce
grow, flourish
restrict
abundant
scarcity
lacking
spread out

pride
pride
pride

extremely small
erase
include, surround
intrusive
unearth, dig up
disentangle
gigantic

size, amount, location

size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location

Ivy Global

pride
pride
pride
pride
pride
pride
pride
pride
pride
science
science
science
science
science
science
science
science
science
science
science
science
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location

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germinate
hamper (verb)
incubate
indiscriminate
inhibit(ing)
innate
innocuous
insular(ity)
inundate

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latent, latency
mitigate, mitigator
modicum
motley
parch
paucity
peripheral

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plasticity
plethora, plethoric
pliable, pliant
preclude
prodigious
profuse, profusion
prohibitive,
prohibition
proliferate,
proliferation
prolific
quell
rampant
ravenous
reap
recessive
relegate
relinquish
repertory
satiate
saturate
scanty
scope
superfluous
surfeit
teem, teeming
trifling
ubiquitous
vacuous, vacuity
viscous

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(cause to) grow

hinder, restrict
develop, grow
unselective, random
restrain(ing)
intrinsic, natural
harmless
related to or similar to an island
flood
the state of being not yet evident or
active
moderate, alleviate
small amount
diverse, heterogeneous
make dry
scarcity
outermost, secondary
malleability, the ability to be shaped or
molded
surplus
easily shaped or influenced
prevent
huge
plentiful

size, amount, location

size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location

restrictive

size, amount, location

grow, increase
fertile, fruitful
suppress, quench
unrestrained, growing
insatiable, having a huge appetite
harvest, gather
tending to go backward
demote
give back
collection
satisfy fully
flood, soak
barely sufficient
opportunity, range
more than necessary
surplus
abundant
frivolous, unimportant
ever-present, pervasive
empty
thick, sticky

size, amount, location

size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location

Ivy Global

size, amount, location

size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location
size, amount, location

416
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419
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440
441
442
443
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446
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448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
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waning
byzantine
cacophonous,
cacophony
cursory
gait
garish

lessening
convoluted, complex

size, amount, location

the senses

discordant sound
hasty, superficial
manner of walking
tastelessly showy

the senses
the senses
the senses
the senses

glutton(ous)
lurid
malleable
ramshackle
redolent
shroud
stark(ness)
succulent
antediluvian
dilatory
ephemeral
hasten
oracle
prospective
regressive
sporadic
temporize
transient
arcane
belie
charlatan
circuitous
clandestine
demystify
disingenuous
divulge
dupe
duplicitous,
duplicity
enigma(tic)

someone who eats and drinks too much

sensational, shocking
capable of being shaped, pliable
poorly constructed
reminiscent, having smell
hide, obscure
harsh, plain
delicious
very old
tending to waste time
short-lived
speed up the progress of
prophet
likely or expected to become
tending to return or revert
occurring at irregular intervals
delay, evade
lasting for only a short time
mysterious, known only by a few
give a false impression
swindler
indirect
secretive
make clear and comprehensible
insincere
make known
deceive

the senses
the senses
the senses
the senses
the senses
the senses
the senses
the senses
time
time
time
time
time
time
time
time
time
time
truth
truth
truth
truth
truth
truth
truth
truth
truth

deliberately deceptive
mystery, mysterious
a report designed to reveal the truth to
the public
deceitful, incorrect
false belief
deceitful
sneaky

truth
truth

skeptical
left doubtful, inconclusive
mysterious

truth
truth
truth

expos
fallacious
fallacy
fraudulent
furtive
incredulous,
incredulity
indeterminate
inscrutable

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truth
truth
truth
truth
truth

459
460
461
462
463
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465

irony, ironic
ostensible
plausible,
plausibility
pretext
prevaricator
rectify, rectitude
refutation, refute

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467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500

sanctimonious
sophistry
spurious
substantiate
auspicious
barrage
belligerent
blighted
bolster
buttress
circumvent
conflagration
contentious
decimate
deleterious
depravity
dire
divergent
divisive
elude
elusive
embitter(ed)
encumbrance
fortuitous
marred
nefarious
palliate, palliative
precarious
raze
serendipity
spartan
vanquish
vigilant
vindictive
virulent

incongruity between what is expected

and what actually results
apparent, seeming

truth
truth

likely true
misleading claim or appearance
liar
put right, correct
arguing that a claim is false

truth
truth
truth
truth
truth

pretending to be religious, hypocritical

deceptive reasoning
false, inauthentic
confirm, establish as genuine
favorable
bombardment, torrent
aggressive, warlike
destroyed
support
support
escape, avoid
large destructive fire
belligerent, quarrelsome
destroy
harmful
moral corruption
urgent, dreadful
different, conflicting
creating conflict
evade
difficulty to catch or define
make worse
burden
fortunate, lucky
scarred
evil
relieve pain without curing
dangerous, unstable
destroy, demolish
luck
simple, self-disciplined
conquer, defeat
watchful, alert
seeking revenge
poisonous

truth
truth
truth
truth
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace
war and peace

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