Use ‘terse’ to describe or characterize brevity in writing or speech.
He was not long-winded; on the contrary, he expressed himself in terse statements, pausing to compose his thoughts after each utterance.
Use ‘circumspect’ for diplomacy or restraint in a person’s behavior, attitude or speech.
The congresswoman had stated that the Air Force general was sure to be indicted, but today she was more circumspect in her comments about the case. (adapted from an example on superiorvocabulary.com)
Use ‘amorphous’ to describe an attitude, a statement, or an object that is indistinct.
Most people found the cloud to be amorphous, but Paul insisted that it closely resembled the shape of a turtle.
Use ‘evoke’ as a near-synonym for the word ‘express’, especially in the sense of emitting a certain aura, feeling, reminder, attitude or idea.
Her thoughtful words evoked the wisdom of Socrates.
'Music is used to evoke a particular mood.' (adapted from Australia Network)
Fitzgerald’s writing evokes the spirit of the Roaring Twenties.
Use ‘invoke’ for the act of calling on a higher authority, especially in connection with writing, speech, religion, or the law.
The witness invoked his 5th Amendment right to remain silent.
His poetry invokes the subtle interior rhythms of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Use the verb ‘to cleave’ to express the act of slicing or splitting. (The past tense of ‘cleave’ is ‘cleft’ or (still more confusingly) ‘cloven’.)
He can cleave a thick steak into two equal portions with a single blow of his hatchet.
Conversely, use the expression “cleave to” as a synonym for “cling to” or “adhere to,” especially with respect to unwavering loyalty in human relationships.
The faithful husband cleaves to his wife.
To feign means “to pretend,” but the word is used a particular way:
He feigned ignorance as a way to avoid testifying in court.
Please don’t try to feign modesty; I know you are quietly gloating on the inside.
(The latter example comes from http://vocabulary-vocabulary.com/dictionary/feign.php)
Originally used to describe ancient texts excluded from the Bible (‘apo’ = beyond or outside of; ‘cryph’ = scripture), the word ‘apocryphal’ is used today to characterize statements that are outlandishly false or misleading.
Some people claim that the story of George Washington and the cherry tree is apocryphal – a myth designed to inspire children’s patriotism.
The traveling salesman made apocryphal claims about the healing powers of the medicines he sold to pharmacists.
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