Abide has many meanings; it comes closest to the word tolerate when used to mean “to put up with,” a sense that most often appears in negative constructions. For instance, you might not be able or willing to abide, or put up with, dishonesty. (Wise!) Abide often appears before by, as in “She refused to abide by their rules.” Here, abide takes on a slightly different meaning of “to submit to” or “to agree to.”

An anecdote is a short account of a particular incident or event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature. Anecdotes are usually narrated or shared orally rather than written; sometimes they are offered to lend support to an idea or conclusion based on real-world experience. Unlike the word story, anecdote is not used to talk about the plot of a novel, poem, or drama.

To disclose something is to make it known, or to reveal or uncover it. Unlike the versatile verb tell, which sometimes means simply “to communicate,” disclose is used when the information shared (or as the case may be, not shared) is of a confidential and consequential nature. As you might guess, it’s not used lightly! Under investigation, a corporation might disclose key financial information; upon publishing a high-profile news story, a journalist might refuse to disclose the identify of her source.