Strong action verbs can really help drive home your previous success and career achievements. Often times, we draw a blank on which verbs to use. This page provides an alphabetical index of power verbs that can be used in a resume, mainly to start action oriented statements.

Though keywords may impress a computer enough to get your resume to the hiring manager's desk, you still have to impress that live human being enough to keep it out of the trash.

As any writer will tell you, the key to compelling prose lies in the action words: verbs. Below you will find a comprehensive list of power verbs that will make your resume stand out from the pack.

A	Synonyms	D	Synonyms
abated	decline, decrease, lessen	dealt	Traded, Marketed, Sold
abbreviated	concise, condensed, summarized	debated	Argued, Discussed, Disputed
abolished	ended, eradicated, terminated	debugged	Corrected, Fixed, Cured
abridged	compressed, condensed, compact	decided	Determined, Resolved, Settled
absolved	cleared, excused, exonerated	decoded	Decipher, Fathom, Solve
absorbed	consumed, engrossed, fascinated	decreased	Abate, Decline, Ebb
accelerated	fast, rapid, swift	dedicated	Apply, Assign, Commit
accentuated	heightened, highlight, stress	defined	Decide, Explain, Specify
accommodated	adapt, aid, support	delegated	Charge, Elect, Invest
accomplished	achieve, attain, realize	delineated	border, define, edge
accounted for	available, at hand, near	delivered	distribute, remit, transfer
accrued	accumulate, amass, build up	demonstrated	determine, Establish, indicate
accumulated	accrued, amass, collect	deployed	Arrange, display, position
achieved	accomplished, concluded, done	derived	conclude, deduct, judge
acquired	attained, earned, received	described	communicate, explain, Specify
acted	mock, pretended, simulate	designated	entitle, label, name
adapted	accommodate, conform, tailor	designed	construct, devise, invent
adopted	accept, endorse, foster	detailed	allocate, commission, designate
added	augment, summated, supplement	detected	discover, encounter, uncover
addressed	discourse, lecture, remark	determined	decide, regulate, terminate
adjusted	altered, diversified, revised	developed	advance, promote, thrive
administered	execute, manage, oversee	devised	Arrange, construct, improvise
advanced	continue, further, promote	diagnosed	determine, interpret, identify
advertised	amplify, notify, publicize	differentiated	contrast, demarcate, separate
advised	apprise, enlighten, inform	diffused	disburse, mitigate, temper
advocated	advance, bolster, encourage	directed	govern, lead, manage
affirmed	approved, assured, confirmed	disbursed	distribute, expend, outlay
aided	alleviate, benefit, subsidize	discovered	detect, identify, reveal
alerted	caution, notify, signaled	discussed	confer, converse, review
aligned	commensurate, level, parallel	dispatched	forward, remit, transmit
allayed	abate, assuage, relieve	dispensed	allot, distribute, portion
alleviated	ease, improve, mitigate	displayed	Arrange, demonstrate, showcase
allocated	allot, budget, designate	disposed	actuate, induce, regulate
allotted	appoint, budget, mete	disproved	belie, confute, rebut
altered	adjust, convert, revised	dissected	dismember, part, sever
amassed	compile, collect, gather	disseminated	circulate, disperse, publish
amended	enhance, improve, modify	dissolved	decline, disband, terminate
analyzed	consider, examine, interpret	distinguished	collate, label, judge
answered	comment, reply, remark	distributed	administer, bestow, prorate
anticipated	assume, expect, deduce	diversified	alter, expand, variegate
appeased	conciliate, contend, subdue	diverted	deflect, modify, veer
applied	correlated, exercised, related	divested	deprive, remove, seize
appointed	assign, delegate, determine	divided	detach, segment, unbind
appraised	assess, evaluate, inspect	documented	certify, record, script
approached	advance, offer, propose	doubled	binary, dual, paired
appropriated	appoint, devote, disperse	drafted	compose, devise, formulate
approved	commend, praise, sanction	dramatized	amplify, exaggerate, overdo
arbitrated	mediate, negotiate, settle	drew up	compose, prepare
aroused	animate, enliven, provoke	drove	compel, induce, urge
arranged	classify, methodize, organize	E
articulated	express, state, told	earned	acquire, collect, obtain
ascertained	confirm, determine, verify	eased	assist, expedite, mollify
aspired	aim, strive, yearn	economized	conserve, manage, save
assembled	accumulate, convene, unite	edited	alter, compile, prepare
assessed	estimate, evaluate, judge	educated	coach, Develop, teach
assigned	apportion, delegate, designate	effected	cause, Complete, enforce
assimilated	accommodate, incorporate, standardize	elaborated	devise, Develop, enhance
assisted	abet, collaborate, facilitate	elected	Appoint, cull, select
assured	ensured, insured, guaranteed	elevated	dredge, erect, hoist
attained	acquire, obtain, procure	elicited	cause, evoke, obtain
attended	appear, frequent, visit	eliminated	cancel, discharge, eradicate
audited	examine, review, verify	embraced	clasp, enfold, seize
augmented	amplify, compound, supplement	emphasized	assert, headline, prioritize
authored	created, penned, wrote	empowered	accredit, enable, vest
authorized	accredit, enable, entitle	enabled	approve, commission, permit
automated	computerized, mechanized, programmed	encouraged	buoy, fortify, incite
averted	advance, broach, propose	ended	cease, dissolve, terminate
avoided	abstain, desist, evade	enforced	compel, dictate, evoke
awarded	bestow, confer, grant	engaged	Appoint, enlist, retain
B		engineered	Arrange, devise, manage
balanced	collate, offset, stabilize	enhanced	amplify, embellish, upgrade
began	activate, commence, initiate	enlisted	draft, enroll, hire
benchmarked	commence, leveled, targeted	enriched	cultivate, endow, supplement
benefited	advance, further, promote	enrolled	accept, engage, register
bid	propose, tender, venture	ensured	certify, Establish, warrant
billed	debit, invoice, reckon	entered	access, arrive, probe
blended	combine, compound, integrate	entertained	captivate, inspire, regale
blocked	intercept, prevent, stonewall	enticed	beguile, lure, tempt
bolstered	maintain, reinforce, support	equipped	endow, prepare, supply
boosted	amplify, augment, elevate	established	create, decree, enact
bought	acquire, purchase, procure	estimated	assess, budget, gauge
branded	establish, identify, designate	evaluated	appraise, classify, value
bridged	bind, link, unite	examined	audit, consider, research
broadened	link, increase, supplement	exceeded	eclipse, excel, surpass
brought	effectuate, convey, import	executed	achieve, enact, render
budgeted	allocate, calculated, computed	exercised	apply, employ, utilize
built	calculated, construct, engineer	exhibited	display, feature, proclaim
C		expanded	amplify, broaden, increase
calculated	appraise, consider, enumerate	expedited	facilitate, promote, urge
calibrated	adjust, attune, regulate	experienced	confront, encounter, endure
capitalized	attune, use, utilize	experimented	examine, explore, speculate
captured	caught, contained, detained	explained	clarify, decipher, interpret
cared for	aid, provide for, support	explored	examine, probe, survey
carried	channel, convey, sustain	expressed	exert, state, testify
carved	form, hew, shape	extended	amplify, increase, widen
categorized	hew, group, sort	extracted	derive, glean, wrest
catalogued	arrange, class, index	F
caught	apprehend, capture, seize	fabricated	Assemble, compose, create
cautioned	advise, alert, forewarn	facilitated	aid, further, promote
cemented	combine, merge, seal	factored	allow for, consider,
certified	approved, authenticate, authorize	familiarized	condition, enlighten, inform
chaired	judge, mediate, preside	fashioned	create, devise, mold
challenged	dispute, investigate, question	fielded	deflect, handle, return
championed	investigate, defend, uphold	filed	finish, level, refine
changed	adjust, modify, transform	filled	furnish, inflate, pervade
charged	impugn, indict, reproach	finalized	complete, conclude, decide
charted	arrange, graph, plot	financed	capitalize, endow, promote
checked	compare, inspect, verify	fine tuned	adapt, conform, hone
chose	accept, elect, select	finished	alter, modify, complete
chronicled	enter, narrate, report	fixed	imbed, implant, stabilize
circulated	broadcast, distribute, issue	focused	convene, rivet, spotlight
circumvented	avoid, elude, prevent	followed	ensue, displace, pursue
cited	indicate, quote, reference	forecasted	anticipate, conclude, infer
clarified	define, illuminate, simplify	forged	duplicate, invent, produce
classified	categorize, sort, group	formalized	invent, denote, entitle
cleaned	clarify, expunge, sanitize	formed	Arrange, compose, develop
cleared	absolve, clarify, cleanse	formulated	compose, contrive, invent
closed	end, seal, shut	fortified	brace, consolidate, reinforce
coached	advise, encourage, support	forwarded	advance, expedite, promote
coded	arrange, classify, organize	fostered	cultivate, further, support
collaborated	corporate, concur, conspire	fought	challenge, dispute, strive
collated	, ,	found	detect, observe, pinpoint
collected	arrange, find, gather	founded	begin, induce, start
combined	add, mix, integrate	framed	assemble, forge, produce
commanded	, ,	fulfilled	achieve, complete, perfect
commended	Acclaim, Exalt, Praise	functioned as	act, operate, perform
commenced	Exalt, Innate, Start	funded	endow, finance, support
commissioned	Appoint, Command, Enlist	furnished	Appoint, equip, purvey
communicated	Talk, Speak, Verbalize	furthered	assist, Contribute, patronize
compared	Analyze, Contrast, Consider	G
compiled	Assemble, Amass, Gather	gained	acquire, consummate, procure
complemented	Acclaim, Laud, Recommend	garnered	accumulate, collect, reap
completed	End, Finish, Stop	gathered	amass, group, unite
composed	Author, Create, Design	gauged	appraise, count, quantify
compounded	Blend, Combine, Mix	gave	cede, endow, supply
computed	Estimate, Sum, Tally	generated	cause, develop, produce
conceived	Accept, Believe, Understand	governed	command, execute, regulate
concentrated	Consider, Muse, Ponder	graduated	complete, earn, finish
conceptualized	Conceive, Imagine, Invasion	grasped	accept, comprehend, understand
condensed	Abridge, Compress, Reduce	greeted	herald, receive, welcome
conducted	Compress, Direct, Oversee	grew	advance, evolve, increase
conferred	Consult, Discuss, Parley	grouped	arrange, class, order
configured	Arrange, Assemble, Group	guaranteed	affirm, pledge, verify
confirmed	Affirm, Endorse, Verify	guided	advise, govern, teach
confronted	Encounter, Resist, Withstand	H
connected	Affix, Equate, Relate	halted	cease, curb, stop
conserved	Hoard, Save, Stash	halved	bisect, divide, split
considered	Contemplate, Muse, Ponder	handled	advise, operate, Supervise
consolidated	Amass, Combine, Join	headed	chair, manage, supervise
constructed	Build, Create, Make	heightened	enhance, increase, magnify
consulted	Ask, Confer, Discuss	held	confine, detain, retain
consummated	Achieve, Complete, Finish	helped	aid, assist, support
contacted	Approach, Communicate, Relate	hired	employ, engage, retain
continued	Extend, Maintain, Persevere	honed	instruct, teach, practice
contracted	Abate, Confine, Edit	hosted	accommodate, entertain, receive
contributed	Advance, Assist, Fortify	hypnotized	charm, entrance, mesmerize
controlled	Manage, Oversee, Supervise	hypothesized	consider, deem, judge
converted	Adjust, Change, Modify
conveyed	Bring, Carry, Transport
convinced	Assure, Establish, Persuade
cooperated	Aid, Contribute, Further
coordinated	Group, Manage, Organize
copied	Duplicate, Transcribe, Xerox
corrected	Alter, Better, Fix
corresponded	Accord, Coincide, Match
counseled	Advise, Caution, Warn
created	Author, Design, Make
critiqued	Assess, Examine, Rate
cultivated	Breed, Develop, Harvest
customized	Alter, Convert, Modify
cut	Bisect, Curtail, Prune