Words in the News B back 9 backbencher 9 back down 9 backfire on 9 background 10 backlash 10 backlog 10 backpedal 10 backtrack 10 back up 11 badly 11 bail 11 bailout 11, 40, 58 balk 11 ballot box stuffing 12 bank on 12 baulk 11 bay* 72 be adamant that 12 be adept at 12 be a harbinger of 12 be anathema to 13 bear a grudge 13 bear the brunt of 13 be at loggerheads 13 be at stake 13 be at the disposal of 14 be bound to happen 14 become effective 29 bedfellow 14 be due to 14 be fraught 14 beggar belief 15 beggar-thy-neighbour 15 behemoth 15 behind closed doors 15 160 behind the scenes 15 be in the doldrums 15 belatedly 16 bellwether* 36 belt-tightening 16 benchmark (1) 16 benchmark (2) 16 bend 16 benefits 17 be open to greater public scrutiny 17 be predicated on 17 be prone to 17 be reluctant to 17 bias 18 bid* 15, 75, 130 bill 18 binding 18 bitterly 18 blame 18 bland talk 18 bleak 65 blunder 19 board* 2 boast 19 bode well 19 bogus 19 bolster 19 bonus 20 boon 20 boost 20 bootstraps* 108 bound by 20 bound to 14 breach* 76 breakthrough 20 breed 20 bribery scandal 17