counteract
verb
coun·ter·act
ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈakt 
counteracted; counteracting; counteracts
: to make ineffective or restrain or neutralize the usually ill effects of by means of an opposite force, action, or influence
a drug used to counteract fatigue
Examples of counteract in a Sentence
The drug will counteract the poison.
this medication will counteract the symptoms but it won't kill the infection
Recent Examples on the Web
Many companies are developing drugs to counteract side effects from GLP-1s, which include muscle loss and macular degeneration—an eye disease that may cause vision loss.
—
Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2025
Travel can be hard on the body, so any movement is helpful that can counteract the stiffness, prolonged sitting, and aches and pains.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 20 Nov. 2025
This gentle, cleansing formula helps counteract yellow and orange tones in hair and even enhances the dimension of your color.
—Austen Tosone, Glamour, 17 Nov. 2025
To counteract this ion migration, the scientific team introduced a different compound, alkali metal oxalate (specifically potassium binoxalate), during the film’s thermal processing.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counteract
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Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2025
Travel can be hard on the body, so any movement is helpful that can counteract the stiffness, prolonged sitting, and aches and pains.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 20 Nov. 2025
This gentle, cleansing formula helps counteract yellow and orange tones in hair and even enhances the dimension of your color.
—Austen Tosone, Glamour, 17 Nov. 2025
To counteract this ion migration, the scientific team introduced a different compound, alkali metal oxalate (specifically potassium binoxalate), during the film’s thermal processing.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counteract
Cite this Entry
“Counteract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counteract. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
counteract
verb
coun·ter·act
ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈrakt
: to lessen the force, action, or influence of : offset
a drug that counteracts a poison
Medical Definition
counteract
transitive verb
coun·ter·act
ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈrakt
: to make ineffective or restrain or neutralize the usually ill effects of by an opposite force
vitamin K counteracts the effects of warfarin
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