Strong Verbs for Your Mystery

A brainstorming resource to add strong verbs to your manuscript. Lift your manuscript up with power verbs. Help your reader imagine the story. 

Absorb

Advance

Advise

Alter

Amend

Amplify

Attack

Balloon

Bash

Batter

Beam

Beef

Blab

Blast

Bolt

Boost

Brief

Broadcast

Brood

Burst

Bus

Bust

Capture

Catch

Charge

Chap

Chip

Clasp

Climb

Clutch

Collide

Command

Commune

Cower

Crackle

Crash

Crave

Crush

Dangle

Dash

Demolish

Depart

Deposit

Detect

Deviate

Devour

Direct

Discern

Discover

Dismantle

Download

Drag

Drain

Drip

Drop

Eavesdrop

Engage

Engulf

Enlarge

Ensnare

Envelop

Erase

Escort

Expand

Explode

Explore

Expose

Extend

Extract

Eyeball

Fight

Fish

Fling

Fly

Frown

Fuse

Garble

Gaze

Glare

Gleam

Glisten

Glitter

Gobble

Govern

Grasp

Gravitate

Grip

Groan

Grope

Growl

Guide

Gush

Hack

Hail

Heighten

Hobble

Hover

Hurry

Ignite

Illuminate

Inspect

Instruct

Intensify

Intertwine

Impart

Jostle

Journey

Lash

Launch

Lead

Leap

Locate

Lurch

Lurk

Magnify

Mimic

Mint

Moan

Modify

Multiply

Muse

Mushroom

Mystify

Notice

Notify

Obtain

Oppress

Order

Paint

Park

Peck

Peek

Peer

Perceive

Picture

Pilot

Pinpoint

Place

Plant

Plop

Pluck

Plunge

Poison

Pop

Position

Power

Prickle

Probe

Prune

Realize

Recite

Recoil

Refashion

Refine

Remove

Report

Retreat

Reveal

Reverberate

Revitalize

Revolutionize

Revolve

Rip

Rise

Ruin

Rush

Rust

Saunter

Scamper

Scan

Scorch

Scrape

Scratch

Scrawl

Seize

Serve

Shatter

Shepherd

Shimmer

Shine

Shock

Shrivel

Sizzle

Skip

Skulk

Slash

Slide

Slink

Slip

Slump

Slurp

Smash

Smite

Snag

Snarl

Sneak

Snowball

Soar

Spam

Sparkle

Sport

Sprinkle

Stare

Starve

Steal

Steer

Storm

Strain

Stretch

Strip

Stroll

Struggle

Stumble

Supercharge

Supersize

Surge

Survey

Swell

Swipe

Swoon

Tail

Tattle

Toddle

Transfigure

Transform

Travel

Treat

Trim

Trip

Trudge

Tussle

Uncover

Unearth

Untangle

Unveil

Usher

Veil

Wail

Weave

Wind

Withdraw

Wreck

Wrench

Wrest

Wrestle

Wring

Yank

Zing

Zap