as in offsets
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
this medication will counteract the symptoms but it won't kill the infection
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Recent Examples of counteracts
Benadryl Extra-Strength Anti-Itch Cooling Spray counteracts the burning sensation with a cooling one.
—
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
This serum purportedly counteracts that, working to de-age the scalp, thus thickening and strengthening strands.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 6 Mar. 2026
Fabric softener counteracts those negative charges, neutralizing them.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
However, orthopedic surgeons explain that the amount of sugar in the beverage actually counteracts those bone-supporting benefits.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
The light blue shade counteracts purple and pink tones to cover redness and veins, while the peach shade brightens and corrects sallow-looking skin.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 23 Dec. 2025
This practice counteracts your brain’s obsession with what’s wrong and builds psychological resilience, one moment at a time.
—Jessica Weiss, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
By making the silicon conductive, the doping lets the electronics subtly adjust how strongly the device is mechanically driven, which counteracts slow shifts in frequency.
—Perri Thaler, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Dec. 2025
The Miracle Of Dishwasher Salt For those of you out there with hard water issues, dishwasher salt counteracts hard water.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2025
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
This serum purportedly counteracts that, working to de-age the scalp, thus thickening and strengthening strands.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 6 Mar. 2026
Fabric softener counteracts those negative charges, neutralizing them.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
However, orthopedic surgeons explain that the amount of sugar in the beverage actually counteracts those bone-supporting benefits.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
The light blue shade counteracts purple and pink tones to cover redness and veins, while the peach shade brightens and corrects sallow-looking skin.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 23 Dec. 2025
This practice counteracts your brain’s obsession with what’s wrong and builds psychological resilience, one moment at a time.
—Jessica Weiss, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
By making the silicon conductive, the doping lets the electronics subtly adjust how strongly the device is mechanically driven, which counteracts slow shifts in frequency.
—Perri Thaler, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Dec. 2025
The Miracle Of Dishwasher Salt For those of you out there with hard water issues, dishwasher salt counteracts hard water.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counteracts
Verb
-
Boys volleyball has evolved into such a power game that service errors are often seen as palatable as long as a team offsets the errors with a decent amount of aces.—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
Prestige alone no longer offsets the risks attached to expensive launches and instant global scrutiny.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes odor molecules.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Its violet hue neutralizes yellow tones, making teeth appear visibly brighter.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Ellie corrects her, based on what Jason told them.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
-
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, premiering May 20 on Apple TV, corrects this oversight.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The plethora of attacking talent PSG possesses far outweighs anything Arsenal has to offer, on paper at least.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
In fact, the measurement implies that the black hole outweighs its surroundings.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
Verb
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That uncertainty and rise in unemployment tends to fuel a near-term dip in demand for goods, which counterbalances the price increases from tariffs.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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The pastel counterbalances the darker and mid-tones in the forecast.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counteracts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counteracts. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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