The proposed subdivision sat beyond a quagmire. (subdivision: housing development, residential development; quagmire: bog, mire, morass) A straight footpath looked sensible on paper, but an early test section had begun to subside. (subside: sink, settle, drop) Reinforcing its edges would bolster the contractor's confidence and do little to buttress the soil beneath. (bolster: support, reinforce, buttress; buttress: reinforce, bolster, support) The apprentice suggested they walk the old roundabout path. (roundabout: circuitous, indirect, winding)
The way was tortuous and the light uncertain. (tortuous: winding, convoluted, labyrinthine) Yet a narrow ridge kept their boots dry. The apparently treacherous curve by the reeds was firmer than the inviting flat behind it. (treacherous: perilous, hazardous, dangerous) The ridge was the path's only firm underpinning. (underpinning: foundation, basis, support) Its stability depended on following that ridge. (stability: steadiness, firmness, constancy) To straighten it would destabilize its foundation. (destabilize: unsettle, undermine, weaken)
They came out at the bus stop twelve minutes early. The engineer crossed out the straight line. The new path followed the old boots, with one strategic bench where a tired walker could see the bus coming. (strategic: planned, purposeful, calculated)