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
The research shows that the batteries generate heat under high-load conditions to counteract performance degradation, a finding intended to create more resilient energy storage systems.
—
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Establishing a structured daily routine can be an effective way to counteract the mental impact of unemployment.
—John Pierce, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Investors widely expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this month in an effort to counteract the labor market slowdown.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
The evolution comes alongside a broader shift for retail, an industry actively seeking to counteract cost concerns from consumers and the government, and Walmart isn’t alone in its push toward all things AI.
—Rachel Curry, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counteract
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Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Establishing a structured daily routine can be an effective way to counteract the mental impact of unemployment.
—John Pierce, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Investors widely expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this month in an effort to counteract the labor market slowdown.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
The evolution comes alongside a broader shift for retail, an industry actively seeking to counteract cost concerns from consumers and the government, and Walmart isn’t alone in its push toward all things AI.
—Rachel Curry, CNBC, 30 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 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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