Analogies
An analogy is a relationship you copy. Make a short sentence with the first pair, then keep that same sentence for the second pair.
A hammer drives a nail, so a screwdriver drives a screw. Hot is the opposite of cold, so sharp is the opposite of dull. Begin means start, so end means finish.
Name the relationship before you hunt for a word: synonym, opposite, a stronger degree, part of a whole, worker and tool, a thing and what it does, or a member and its group. Civil service items use this same “A is to B as C is to” pattern. If you skip the link, a nearby word will look right.
Worked example
Warm is to hot as cool is to ___
Cold. Warm is a milder hot. Cool is a milder cold. Ice is a thing, not the stronger word.