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Do you know any English words that seem like they only have one usage in one context?

Asked by DominicX (28808points) August 27th, 2009

This is kind of an odd question and I won’t be surprised if no one responds, but I was just thinking about the phrase “wreak havoc”. There doesn’t seem to be much you can wreak other than “havoc” and there doesn’t seem to be much you can do with havoc other than “wreak” it. It’s like those two words were made especially for that phrase and are rarely used outside of it. I remember telling this to my mom and couple years ago and she had never thought about it.

Also, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word “chagrin” used outside the phrase “to my/his/her chagrin”. Not saying that these words are never used outside these phrases, but I rarely hear it.

Are there any other examples of words that are mostly used in one context?

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