be in line with sth to be similar to, or at the same level as something The company's results are in line with stock market expectations. We're seeking a pay rise that's in line with inflation. The salaries of temporary employees ought to be brought into line with those of permanent staff.

… revitalize democracy at the grass-roots level Grassroots: the ordinary people rather than the ones with power or special knowledge Opinion at (the) grass roots (level) is sympathetic to the strikers. Grass roots opinion is in favor of a strike.

accountable Someone who is accountable is completely responsible for what they do and must be able to give a satisfactory reason for it He knew he would be held accountable for any flaws in the programming. Politicians should be accountable to the public who elected them.

latchkey kid OLD-FASHIONED INFORMAL a child who has a key to his or her home and is often alone at home after school has finished for the day because his or her parents are out at work

exempt to excuse someone or something from a duty, payment, etc: Small businesses have been exempted ______ the tax increase.

reinforce 1. to make something stronger: The pockets on my jeans are reinforced with double stitching. 2. If something reinforces an idea or opinion, it provides more proof or support for it and makes it seem true The final technical report into the accident reinforces the findings of initial investigations. His behaviour merely reinforced my dislike of him.

pool: a number of people or a quantity of a particular thing, such as money, collected together for shared use by several people or organizations Patrick crashed a Ford that he'd borrowed from the car pool. As unemployment rises, the pool of cheap labour increases.

substitute verb 1 to use something or someone instead of another thing or person: I substitute A for B. (I use A to replace B.) You can substitute oil for butter in this recipe. Dayton was substituted for Williams in the second half of the match. 2 substitute for sth to perform the same job as another thing or to take its place: Gas-fired power stations will substitute for less efficient coal-fired equipment.

substitute noun a thing or person that is used instead of another thing or person Tofu can be used as a meat substitute in vegetarian recipes. Vitamins should not be used as a substitute for a healthy diet.

deficit noun the total amount by which money spent is more than money received The country is r______ a budget/trade deficit of $250 million.

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ABBREVIATION ADHD) UK a condition in which someone, especially a child, is often in a state of activity or excitement and unable to direct their attention towards what they are doing (This condition is usually called attention deficit disorder in the US.)