ameliorate

"The condition for getting a raise at work is meeting your quarterly targets. "

"My friend told me there was something in the box, but I didn't know what it was yet. "

"It took a lot of effort to find a decent-sized, fully-furnished apartment within walking distance of the office.   He made a conscious effort to not appear affected by the stories in the paper."

"The medicine helped my grandmother feel better after she had the flu. "

"She offered to help with her homework."

"The United States is in an awkward situation with debt default looming."

"The teacher's negative on the project proposal meant we had to revise it completely. "

"The student perceived the teacher's frustration by the tone of her voice. "

"The final agreement about the new office hours was reached through compromises on both sides, with employees agreeing to start earlier and management agreeing to shorten lunch breaks. "

"Buying more servers would improve performance."

"He never expected to be discovered."

"He quickly found Ali his better in the ring."