1.

reproach

The mission of this committee is so sensitive that we need a citizen beyond reproach as chairperson.

The restaurant is reproached for the high quality of its food and service.

Parents reproach only those children that are well-behaved.

2.

denounce

I can denounce this in my head, but could never do this in front of others.

The president's address was favorably denounced in the press.

Tax cuts are usually applauded by some and denounced by others.

3.

chide

Chiding is very close to cheating.

My parents are so proud of me, they always chide me when the family gets together.

The coach chided her team for sloppy play.

4.

disdain

My expulsion from school is a disdain on my record that will hurt me for years to come.

Spectators showed their disdain for the visitor by pelting his car with tomatoes and rotten eggs.

After the fight, the boxers embraced each other and made a show of the disdain they felt for each other.

5.

aversion

Good food was one of the aversions to which he often treated himself.

Alcoholism is an aversion that is known to be addictive.

Because the host's aversion to smoking was well known, guests did not dare to light a cigarette in her house.

6.

sanction

I cannot sanction why you didn't call me back last night.

As a believer in free speech, the president had to sanction the invitation of the controversial author to speak on campus.

Sanctions work so well because they are never announced to those who are sanctioned.

7.

proponent

The latest statistics turned me from a proponent into a supporter.

A staunch* proponent of gun control, the congressman supported every piece of legislation restricting the sale of firearms.

Throughout the last century, proponents of equality between men and women gained ground.

8.

advocate

Advocates of free speech must respect the rights of those they disagree with.

Advocates are typically secret admirers rather than outspoken proponents.*

Advocates of the sanctions always pointed to the hardships the sanctions caused for innocent people.

9.

ratify

An amendment does not become part of the Constitution until it has been ratified by two-thirds of the states.

Ratification is a very informal process.

Ratification is a very strong form of denouncement.*

10.

commemorate

The dish I can commemorate most is the lobster special.

F. D. Roosevelt was the last president to be commemorated by a monument in Washington.

For years, he could not commemorate his dead brother without a deep sense of loss.