Veritable is a formal adjective that means “being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary.” It is often used to stress the aptness of a metaphorical description.

// The island is a veritable paradise.

// The sale attracted a veritable mob of people.

When muse is used to mean "to think about something carefully or thoroughly," it is usually followed by about, on, over, or upon. The word can also mean "to become absorbed in thought," or "to think or say something in a thoughtful way."

// He mused on the possibility of pursuing a master's degree.

// "I could sell the house," she mused aloud, "but then where would I go?"

Kibosh refers to something that serves as a check or stop. It is usually used in the phrase “put the kibosh on” to mean “to stop or end (something)” or “to prevent (something) from happening or continuing.”

// I downloaded an app to help me put the kibosh on my high screen time.

To coalesce is to come together to form one group or mass.

// The club’s community service projects provide students with a common goal to coalesce around.

// The movie is full of beautifully written scenes but they never coalesce into a whole.

Utopia refers to an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect; a utopia is a place of ideal perfection.

// It’s a nice place to live, but it’s no utopia.

Penultimate means "occurring immediately before the last one," or in other words, "next to last." A formal adjective, it is always used before the noun it modifies.

// The penultimate episode of the TV series features some shocking plot twists that set up what will surely be a thrilling series finale.

the beginning of evening; twilight; dusk

Duress, which is typically used with under, refers to force or threats meant to make someone do something. It is used especially of unlawful coercion.

// The defense asserts that the defendant’s confession was made under duress.

Finicky describes someone who is very hard to please, or something that requires a lot of care, precision, or attentive effort.

// Although she was a finicky eater as a child, she grew up to become a world-renowned chef famous for her encyclopedic knowledge of global ingredients.

// The latest game in the series boasts amazing graphics but the controls are a little finicky.