Converse of object

• reach: A very important museum in a major city has reached the second stage of a Lottery bid.

• enter: Both failed to enter the second stage of the finals.

Adjective modifier

• early: During the early stages of the online signup process you will be provided with a list of hardware costs.

• key: NRICH publishes a magazine nine times a year with sections for each key stage.

• final: Most of the pipe work has already been laid - the final stage will consist mostly of the reinstatement of turf.

• next: The next stage was taking the synopsis to a full text layout for approval.

• Key: The first Key Stage 3 SATs results are in.

• late: Hope to read more interesting pieces at a later stage.

Modifies a noun

• presence: What excellent stage presence, in a young member.

• debut: In 2004 she was delighted to make her West End stage debut as Young Cosette in Les Misérables at the Queen's Theater.

Noun used with modifier

• closing: The bronze was secure, but a desperate effort in the closing stages brought silver, by one-hundredth of a second from Russia.

• planning: Road schemes which had been judged essential were only at the early planning stages, with no identified routes.

• center: Perhaps rather than occupy center stage the church should be working in the wings.

Preposition: of

• pregnancy: In the later stages of pregnancy some substantial physiological changes occur.

• process: During the early stages of the online signup process you will be provided with a list of hardware costs.

• development: I've included some of the sites early pages to show the stages of development the site has gone through.

• cycle: A lunar month lasts 29.5 days. Many cycles are coordinated with the lunar month or with stages of the lunar cycle.