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Collocations for cheek - noun

1. part of the face

ADJECTIVE

flushed, hot, warm
cool
smooth, soft
ashen, pale, pallid
blushing, crimson, pink, red, rosy
hollow, sunken
His red-rimmed eyes and sunken cheeks betrayed his lack of sleep.
chipmunk (AmE), chubby, plump, puffy (AmE)
unshaven
bruised
tear-stained, wet
Her cheeks were wet with tears.

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VERB + cheek

brush, caress, dab, dab at, pat, rub, stroke, touch
She dabbed at her cheeks with a handkerchief.
kiss, peck
give (sb)
She proffered her cheek to kiss.
press, rest
He rested his cheek on her shoulder.

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cheek + VERB

blaze, blush, burn, flame, flush, grow hot, redden, warm
He felt his cheeks burning with shame.

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PREPOSITION

across sb's/the cheek
She gave him a sharp slap across his cheek.
against sb's cheek
She laid her cheek against his.
down sb's cheek
A tear slid down her cheek.
in sb's cheeks
She had a healthy bloom in her cheeks.
on sb's/the cheek
He kissed her on both cheeks and got on the train.

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PHRASES

bring the colour/color (back) to sb's cheeks
color floods (to) your cheeks (AmE), the colour/color rises to your cheeks, the colour/color rushes to your cheeks
Colour/Color flooded to her cheeks when she realized she was being watched.
She smiled at him and the colour/color rose to his cheeks.
a kiss on the cheek, a peck on the cheek
She gave him a peck on the cheek and said goodbye.

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2. (BrE) lack of respect

ADJECTIVE

awful, barefaced, colossal
It's an awful cheek, the way he keeps asking you to lend him money.

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VERB + cheek

have
He's got a cheek, making you wait outside his office.

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PHRASES

of all the cheek!, what a cheek!
He asked you for money? Of all the cheek!

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