Action verbs carry the energy of a sentence. Words such as launch, negotiate, craft and streamline tell the reader exactly what happened, and they do it in fewer words than vague alternatives. A strong verb often makes an adverb or a second phrase unnecessary.
This guide shows how to choose action verbs with purpose, how to replace weak verbs in a draft, and how to use strong verbs on a resume without sounding exaggerated. For the words that describe the things those actions affect, see our guide to describing words.
Why strong verbs work
A verb is the engine of a sentence. When the verb is weak, the writer needs extra words to explain it. Compare The team made a decision about the budget with The team decided the budget. The second version is shorter, more direct and easier to read. Strong verbs reduce clutter without reducing meaning.
Watch for weak verbs
General verbs such as make, get, do, have and go appear in almost every draft. They are not wrong, but they often hide a more exact word. When you see one, ask what the subject actually did. The answer is usually the better verb.
Action verbs by purpose
- Starting and building: launch, establish, draft, craft. Use these for creating something new.
- Improving and refining: streamline, revise, strengthen, refine. Use these for changes that make something better.
- Working with people: negotiate, mentor, coordinate, persuade. Use these for interaction and influence.
- Analysing and deciding: evaluate, prioritise, assess, determine. Use these for judgement and choice.
- Delivering results: accelerate, achieve, deliver, secure. Use these for outcomes.
Before and after
Strong verbs often come from rewriting the whole sentence rather than swapping one word. The examples below show how a weak sentence becomes direct.
Before
I helped make the new system work better for our customers.
After
I streamlined the new system to cut customer wait times.
Using action verbs on a resume
Each bullet point on a resume should start with a clear action verb and describe a result. Choose verbs that match what you actually did. A verb such as led should be used only when you directed others, and coordinated may be more accurate when you organised a shared task. Accuracy builds trust, and trust is what a reader needs.
Examples in context
Strong verbs work best when they match the exact action. She looked at the data is vague. She scrutinised the data shows a careful, detailed review. He made a change hides what happened, while He rewrote the introduction tells the reader precisely what he did. In each case the stronger verb removes the need for a phrase such as in detail or in a major way. Read a sentence aloud and ask what the subject did. The verb that answers that question is usually the one to keep.
Common mistakes
Avoid stacking dramatic verbs on ordinary actions. Spearheaded a weekly update reads as exaggerated. Choose verbs that are accurate, and let the details show the scale. Another mistake is switching tense within a document. Keep past tense for completed work and present tense for current duties. Finally, make sure each verb has a clear subject. The project was launched by our team is weaker than Our team launched the project.
Quick reference
| Create something | Launch, establish, draft, craft |
| Improve something | Streamline, revise, strengthen |
| Work with people | Negotiate, mentor, coordinate |
| Judge or decide | Evaluate, prioritise, assess |
| Deliver results | Accelerate, achieve, secure |
Practice your verbs
Take one paragraph from your recent writing and underline every form of make, get, do and have. For each one, write a more specific verb. Keep the version that is most accurate, not the most dramatic. Over time, your sentences will become shorter and more active, and your reader will spend less effort finding the point.
See the full set of word lists on the Categories page, or read our guides on writing clearly.