as in offset
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
hard work can often be a counterweight to modest intelligence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of counterweight
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
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan are gone, but the counterweight is the wave that’s supposed to replace them.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterweight
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan are gone, but the counterweight is the wave that’s supposed to replace them.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterweight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterweight
Noun
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Through an algebraic analysis of the robots’ parameters, such as the lengths of their links and the offsets of their joints, the team mapped out exactly where the singularities lie within their joint space.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2026
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In these window boxes, the bluish hue of dichondra 'Silver Falls' offsets pink begonias and Madagascar periwinkle.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But apart from a few good counter-attacks early on, Spurs struggled to get a foothold in the game, or to stem the flow when Sunderland took control.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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The first is a nod to Zao’s assembly-line counter setup, which is similar to the build-your-own concept used by Chipotle Mexican Grill.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In between, Rayo have struck a balance under former Andoni Iraola assistant Inigo Perez.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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McCarthy added that achieving Spanx’s signature smoothing in a lighter-weight denim required a highly intentional balance of fabric innovation and construction.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And Cello Pete, who has collaborated with Hersh for years, added much to the proceedings, with his lush string work providing an important counterbalance to Hersh’s jagged guitar lines.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
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The bottom line Kaprizov, Hughes and Boldy are game-breaking talents who’d be enough to push Minnesota past plenty of opponents, but Dallas has top-end players who provide a counterbalance along with superior depth.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Paint can also be a powerful corrective.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Mar. 2026
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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
“Counterweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterweight. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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