gripped

"After the heavy rain, the river was flooding the nearby town. "

"After a long day of gardening, the worker washed his hands, but some ditches of dirt remained ingrained under his fingernails. "

"The apéritifs were particularly stimulating."

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

"The construction workers dug a trench to lay the new water pipe. "

"My dad made a strong coffee before going to work. "

"The children were drawing with chalk on the pavement outside their house. "

"I brush my teeth regularly to prevent them from turning yellow."

"The long wait for the test results was finally over, and the student felt a great sense of relief. "

"emotional crisis"

"There is one sterling and here is another"

"The foundation gave a much needed assist to the shelter."