But what has most annoyed critics about the decision to pursue a settlement is what they characterized as a subtle acknowledgment by the administration that the lawsuit would fizzle in court.
In "The Song of the Lark," Wunsch's drinking eventually forces him to leave town, but his acknowledgment of Thea Kronborg's talent encourages her to pursue singing.
Ferrell had hoped she could have her father's body thawed and cremated, and her decision to drop the case was a painful acknowledgment that she and her husband, Mark, could no longer pursue it.
"I will live and lead by these principles -- to advance my convictions with civility, to pursue the public interest with courage, to speak for greater justice and compassion, to call for responsibility, and try to live it as well," Mr. Bush pledged, a subtle and fleeting acknowledgment of the turmoil that constantly swirled around Mr. Clinton.
But without the acknowledgment, the trading commission is pursuing a lawsuit against JPMorgan, which could cast a darker cloud over the bank.
The Heat pursued legal remedy in Florida state courts, seeking acknowledgment of the prior validity and superiority of their earlier contract.
That comment — an acknowledgment, for the first time, that Mr. Holder has not pursued big bank prosecutions out of fear of possibly harming the financial system — raises a variety of questions, Andrew Ross Sorkin writes in the DealBook column.
Trump's public acknowledgment that he was willing to let the policy continue as he pursued his political goals came as the president once again blamed Democrats for a policy enacted and touted by his own administration.
Boies raised his Diet Coke in acknowledgment, then said, "The real heroes are the Jane Does who are courageously pursuing this, and who motivate us.
The acknowledgment from the prosecutors came as authorities conducted raids across Brussels and in France and Germany, an indication that they were still hotly pursuing terrorist plots and that the network may spread across a wide stretch of Europe.
