Object

• claim: Spending vast amounts of money to stake a claim in this fledgling market.

Converse of object

• acquire: They offer the chance for employees to acquire a stake in the ownership of the company for which they work.

• raise: Raise the stakes by playing wirelessly against your friends.

• multiply: Should the horse finish first, the punter wins the stake multiplied by the SP of the horse.

• retain: Options include offering shareholder fans the chance to retain a small stake in the club.

• buy: To invest in shares is to buy a stake in the future of UK plc.

Preposition: as

• heretic: After many successful battles she was captured and betrayed to the English who burned her at the stake as a heretic.

Adjective modifier

• controlling: Leach steadfastly refused to pitch the idea to the BBC, as they would require a controlling stake in the project.

• wooden: These consisted of ditches with the earth piled up to form a bank into which wooden stakes were driven.

• sizeable: Success will be rewarded with a sizeable stake in the company.

• unlimited: There will not be unlimited stakes and prizes on all of those, of course, because we could not afford that.

• remaining: Mandaric is due to sell his remaining stake in Pompey to joint-owner Alexandre Gaydamak for £ 32m.

Modifies a noun

• holder: DfT were hoping to convene a meeting of the stake holders set out in the Forum's road safety report shortly.

Noun used with modifier

• cent: The Spanish company's 50 per cent stake in Bristol Airport could exchange hands for about £ 106 million.

• equity: Once they have agreed a deal with the vendors, only then will they decide on the management's equity stake.

• popularity: Le Lac ( Tignes 2100m ) Le Lac gives Val Claret a run for its money in the popularity stakes.

• percent: Monsanto holds a 26 percent stake in Mahyco, according to published reports.

• minority: European Acquisition Capital have invested for a minority stake.

• glamor: I've been to Barcelona and - just a tinier bit down on the international glamor stakes - Lytham St Annes.

Preposition: for

• heresy: Some refused to change and they were burned at the stake for heresy.