collocations.org

Collocations for shoulder - noun

1. part of the body between the neck and the arm

ADJ.

dislocated, frozen
His frozen shoulder has stopped him playing tennis.

SHOULDER + NOUN

injury | blade, bones, joint, muscle, socket
The bullet hit him squarely between the shoulder blades.
height, level | width
Keep the feet shoulder width apart.
harness, sling, strap | injury

PREP.

over your ~
He slung the sack over his shoulder and set off.

PHRASES

a pat on the shoulder
He gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
shoulder to shoulder
The route of the procession was lined with police officers standing shoulder to shoulder.
tap sb on the shoulder
I tapped the man on the shoulder and asked him to move.

2. shoulders: the part between the two shoulders

ADJ.

big, broad, great, huge, manly, massive, muscled, muscular, powerful, strong, wide | delicate, shapely, slim | narrow, thin | square | round | bony | bowed | bare | tense, tight | tired

VERB + SHOULDER

shrug
When I asked him why he''d done it he just shrugged his shoulders.
hunch
He hunched his shoulders against the cold wind.

SHOULDER + VERB

be bent, be bowed, be stooped
She was crouched with her head forward and her shoulders bent.
droop, drop, sag, slump
My shoulders dropped with relief.
lift, shrug
Her shoulders lifted in a vague shrug.
heave, shake, twitch
His enormous shoulders heaved with sobs.
stiffen, tighten | relax

PREP.

on your ~s
The child sat on her father''s shoulders to watch the parade go by.

Collocations for shoulder - verb

1. accept the responsibility for sth

VERB + SHOULDER

have to, must
She had to shoulder the burden of childcare.
be willing/unwilling to
He was unwilling to shoulder this responsibility alone.

2. push sb/sth with your shoulder

ADV.

roughly
We were shouldered roughly out of the way.
aside, out of the way

PHRASES

shoulder your way past/through sb/sth
She shouldered her way through the crowd.

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