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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
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
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
That’s more than just a defeat; that is institutional counterpoise against the attempt by the president to corrupt institutions.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
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
-
Once price breaks above or below the cloud, traders often watch to see whether price holds above or below the Kijun-sen, which acts as an equilibrium level, before confirming a new trend direction.—
Karl Montevirgen,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
With Brent crude hovering above $115 and the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, the question is whether the labor market’s low-hire, low-fire equilibrium can survive an energy shock.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
However, even with increasing emissions, the largest companies should be able to afford enough renewable energy and offsets to meet carbon-neutral goals.—
Tammy Webber,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
However, even with increasing emissions, the largest companies should be able to afford enough renewable energy and offsets to meet carbon-neutral goals.—
Tammy Webber,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The full inspections show how each establishment has corrected or is working to correct any remaining violations.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Violations were corrected later, records show.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Another admitted to brushing crumbs into the gap between the stove and counter as a child—only to be caught and made to pull the appliance out and deep-clean the entire area.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Shadow boxes are sometimes displayed on a counter or table due to the challenge of hanging the extra depth on a wall.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By contrast, a mobile, autonomous interceptor can dynamically pursue and neutralize targets at close range, offering both flexibility and scalability.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But Cronin’s essentially saying Michigan is one of the few teams built to neutralize that formula.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Today’s Libra full moon helps you to restore balance.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
And while the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved covering the overrun, most of which will come from the county's unrestricted fund balance, frustration is clearly building.—
Ubah Ali,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In December, Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland — motivated by the territory’s strategic position along the Red Sea as a potential counterweight to Iran and the Houthis, and framed by Netanyahu as being in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Xi’s unwillingness or inability to intervene in events so far from home seems to be harming China’s reputation as a geopolitical counterweight to the United States.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Paint can also be a powerful corrective.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Mar. 2026
-
These are all refreshing correctives to the texts that previously stood in for contemporary Japan internationally, including any number of small volumes about magical cafés, bookshops, or libraries, often with cats on their covers.—
Sarah Chihaya,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterpoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterpoise. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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