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
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But Tirtir’s formula offsets this with soothing Centella asiatica (also known as cica).—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
21 Apr. 2026
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Republicans would increase an existing credit that offsets a portion of municipal property tax bills from $300 to $650 and broaden eligibility.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sometimes the strength part neutralizes his athleticism and neutralizes his skills.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Especially because the historicization does something to Martin’s writing, tossing in a saccharine element that neutralizes some of his humor.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This version corrects the location of the Escade school to Barcelona-based.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Discover the altered gene, place healthy versions of the gene into innocuous viruses, give those to patients, hope that kickstarts the CFTR protein and corrects the problem.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Patrick O’Rourke, who represented Children’s Hospital Colorado, countered that Eckhart was right in determining the harm to the hospital outweighs the plaintiffs’ loss of care, but made a mistake in concluding the decision to stop the care was likely discrimination.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
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This is one of those tools where the risk genuinely outweighs the reward — and there are far better ways to deal with clogged pores.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 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 25 Apr. 2026.
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