"Encumber" is a verb that means burden. To "encumber" someone means to put a burden upon him or her. To help you, a "burden" is a physical or metaphorical load that is difficult to carry. To help you further, "calamity" means disaster, "desolate" means bleak and isolated, and "repurpose" means find another use for. 

To "recuperate" means to recover or regain health and energy after exerting oneself or being ill, so "recover" is the correct answer. To "iterate" means to reoccur or to repeat. To "disunite" means to separate or break up, as you might have been able to guess from the word being a combination of the negative prefix "dis-," which means to do the opposite of, and "unite." To "yearn" means to strongly desire or want. To "eradicate" means to destroy or remove completely.

To "recuperate" is to recover from an illness or injury, so "recover" is the correct answer. None of the other answer choices are close in meaning to "recuperate": to "supplement' is to add something helpful but not necessary to something else; to "refine" is to improve something by removing impurities from it; to "cease" is to stop; and to "decline" is to lessen.

When something, such as a wave, "subsides," it means that it lessens in intensity; therefore, the best answer choice is "weaken," which is synonymous with lessening in degree or force. "Reinforce" is to strengthen; "appease" is to calm; "fortify" is to strengthen; and "eliminate" is to completely remove.

“Gnaw” means to chew on something large and tough without swallowing it, so "chew" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “devour” means eat greedily or use up; "prohibit" means ban or not allow; "snap" can mean break into two pieces or click one's jaws at in an attempt to bite, and this second usage usually refers to animals; and "chase" means pursue or follow at a fast pace something or someone that does not want to be caught.

"Maneuver” means to steer, navigate, or "drive." As for the other answer choices, "laud" means praise, and “applaud” means clap one's hands in order to praise or show appreciation for.

“Evade” means run away from or "avoid." As for the other answer choices, “counter” means retaliate or attack back while dodging an attack; “reform” means change dramatically for what is considered to be the better; “alter” also means change, but suggests less dramatic changes than “reform”; and “exhort" means beg or urge strongly.

“Deface” means mar, spoil, or ruin the appearance of, so it is very close in meaning to “disfigure,” which means to change the appearance of something in a way that ruins it. As for the other answer choices, “wince” means draw back as if in pain; “embrace” means hug or agree with; “insinuate” means imply or suggest that something is true; and “tamper” means mess with or break.

To “devour” something means to completely eat it or "consume" it. As for the other answer choices, “despise” means hate; “illustrate” means draw or demonstrate; “meander” means zigzag or amble and is often used to describe rivers, and “mollify” means make calm.

To "intercept” something or someone means to stop or get in the way of that person or thing. “Advance” means move forward; “continue” means keep going; “relax” means calm down and reduce one's level of stress; and "calm," when used as a verb, means cause to feel relaxed and serene.