Across
- 4. To take a small amount of money from a large sum in a clandestine way; often used to describe stealing a percentage off the top of a budget.
- 5. The action of frightening or overawing someone, especially in order to make them do what one wants; often achieved through size, threats, or aggressive displays of power.
- 8. An event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something abstract; like when a feeling or idea becomes a physical reality.
- 10. An outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality; originally refers to the front face of a building.
- 11. Forbidden by law, rules, or custom; usually implies something done in secret or that is morally questionable, like a black market trade.
- 13. A ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way; a classic term for a dictator.
- 14. A government, especially an authoritarian one; usually refers to a specific administration or a system of rule that is strict and controlling.
- 15. Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects; like a disease or corruption that spreads slowly before you notice the damage.
- 16. A wide street in a town or city, typically one lined with trees; often designed for grand processions rather than cozy neighborhood walking.
- 18. The acquisition of money, gain, or advantage by dishonest, unfair, or illegal means, especially through the abuse of one's position or influence in politics.
- 20. The state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial; the functional value of a building as opposed to its decorative or symbolic value.
Down
- 1. A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art; often used to describe the specific visual style or "vibe" of a movement or person.
- 2. Widespread respect and admiration felt for someone or something on the basis of a perception of their achievements or quality; often the motivation behind vanity projects.
- 3. A thin decorative covering of fine material applied to a coarser one; metaphorically used to describe a pleasant surface appearance that hides a rotten interior.
- 6. A small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution; often implies that power is concentrated in the hands of a wealthy few.
- 7. Large, powerful, and intractably indivisible and uniform; used to describe a system or organization that is huge, slow, and impossible to change.
- 9. Wealth in the form of money or other assets owned by a person or organization; the financial fuel that drives investment and, in this context, real estate markets.
- 12. To conceal the origins of illegally obtained money, typically by means of transfers involving foreign banks or legitimate businesses, to make it appear legal.
- 17. Lacking in imagination, creativity, or excitement; uninspiring or unproductive; often used to describe an environment that is too clean and devoid of life.
- 19. A payment made to someone who has facilitated a transaction or appointment, especially illicitly; essentially a bribe paid after the fact as a reward.