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
Still, there’s enough real demand to more than counteract any political headwinds, d’Andrade said.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 4 June 2026
Locally, these priorities have taken shape as the SHIPS for America Act, a bipartisan effort aimed at modernizing domestic shipyards, supporting a business corridor along Interstate 80, and securing funding for climate resiliency projects to counteract sea-level rise.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Still, even a narrow win would be awkward for California Democrats, after party leaders asked voters to redraw the state’s congressional district maps in order to flip seats from red to blue and counteract Republican redistricting drives in other states.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
So the researchers set out to examine how self-narratives could counteract prior experiences of prejudice.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for counteract
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Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 4 June 2026
Locally, these priorities have taken shape as the SHIPS for America Act, a bipartisan effort aimed at modernizing domestic shipyards, supporting a business corridor along Interstate 80, and securing funding for climate resiliency projects to counteract sea-level rise.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Still, even a narrow win would be awkward for California Democrats, after party leaders asked voters to redraw the state’s congressional district maps in order to flip seats from red to blue and counteract Republican redistricting drives in other states.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
So the researchers set out to examine how self-narratives could counteract prior experiences of prejudice.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for counteract
Cite this Entry
“Counteract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counteract. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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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