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
Google co-founder Sergey Brin has dumped $45 million into a campaign committee that’s sponsoring a handful of other ballot measures, including three currently collecting signatures, that seek to counteract the tax in various ways.
—
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 21 Mar. 2026
What can these films do to counteract attitudes about artificial intelligence or the encroachment of AI?
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
In cases like Munster’s, where the sole purpose of going into menopause is to reduce the estrogen fueling a painful condition, adding back hormones with HT could counteract the potential benefit.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 Mar. 2026
Benadryl Extra-Strength Anti-Itch Cooling Spray counteracts the burning sensation with a cooling one.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counteract
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Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 21 Mar. 2026
What can these films do to counteract attitudes about artificial intelligence or the encroachment of AI?
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
In cases like Munster’s, where the sole purpose of going into menopause is to reduce the estrogen fueling a painful condition, adding back hormones with HT could counteract the potential benefit.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 Mar. 2026
Benadryl Extra-Strength Anti-Itch Cooling Spray counteracts the burning sensation with a cooling one.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 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 30 Mar. 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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