There is still a difference between something and nothing, but it is purely geometrical and there is nothing behind the geometry.
The car slewed to a stop and only then did I notice that it wasn't a cop car, ambulance or fire-engine.
If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.
Sitting in the back of that Hummer, my head in a hood, my hands lashed behind my back, lurching back and forth while the bruises swelled up on my head, terrorism suddenly felt a lot riskier.
One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.
A few seconds later, I tripped over a steel staircase, bashing my shins.
It is not enough to aim; you must hit.