1
as in equilibrium
a condition in which opposing forces are equal to one another
a musical piece with a counterpoise of loud and soft passages
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offset
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
the happiness brought by a new baby was a timely counterpoise to the grief occasioned by a death in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to offset
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
her overall healthiness largely counterpoised the virulence of the infection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterpoise
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
What’s most remarkable about Torruella’s film is its counterpoise between the sense of raging injustice and the island’s mystic stillness.
—Amada Torruella, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2023
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
Conflicts of interest are objective situations that arise when a person’s financial interests can be counterpoised to their public responsibilities.
—Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 29 Nov. 2018
Noun
Molina, the embodiment of theatrical excellence, is perfectly cast as the rational counterpoise to Brady’s zealotry.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
What’s most remarkable about Torruella’s film is its counterpoise between the sense of raging injustice and the island’s mystic stillness.
—Amada Torruella, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2023
Verb
Indeed, the Western, that peculiarly American contribution to the world’s store of epic and saga, often depends on the tale of a defeated Confederate at large to enforce virtue, someone whose heroic individualism is counterpoised with the superficial discipline of the federal troops.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
Conflicts of interest are objective situations that arise when a person’s financial interests can be counterpoised to their public responsibilities.
—Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 29 Nov. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterpoise
Noun
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Nurturing Work-Life Synergy Maintaining a harmonious equilibrium between demanding job roles and personal life is pivotal for sustaining employee engagement.—
Wayne Yu,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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Adrien Brody’s László Tóth is a Holocaust survivor battling for postwar equilibrium with a determination and wit that keeps us gripped.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And it’s assumed these targets will be met with some reliance on offsets, where companies pay others to cut emissions rather than doing it themselves.—
Justin Worland,
TIME,
25 Feb. 2025
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Before determining taxes on capital gains, a taxpayer first offsets, or nets, gains and losses against each other.—
Bob Carlson,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The station was damaged after its launch, forcing NASA to delay launching the crew and to map out and practice procedures for correcting Skylab’s problems.—
Alice George,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 Mar. 2025
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By correcting the president’s falsehoods while in the Oval Office.—
Stephen Collinson,
CNN,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There’s also a 15-seat chef’s counter that offers its own version of traditional omakase (meaning the menu is chef’s choice).—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
19 Mar. 2025
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But you may also be asked for a date of birth or driver’s license number at the return counter at the mall, or in an application for a discount program.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA TODAY,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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And with Solis and Briana Webb — who led Piedmont with 19 points — attacking them inside and getting them in foul trouble, the Highlanders neutralized Tech’s size advantage.—
Devin Bradshaw,
The Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2025
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But the United States will thrive only if Washington recognizes the danger of so many intersecting national fault lines and neutralizes these risks through patient and open-ended diplomacy.—
Michael Kimmage,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Each wine is evaluated through a meticulous collective tasting regimen, assessing its balance, quality, and consistency, and only 22 percent of the wines from the Médoc production area are included.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
9 Mar. 2025
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That memory still burns, creating just the right balance of fortitude and redemption.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Soviet Union, for decades the great counterweight to the West, seemed like an immovable force.—
Martin Gutmann,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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Rate cut expectations are rising, a useful counterweight to a slower economy.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA TODAY,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterpoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterpoise. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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