as in offset
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
charitable giving is usually a good counterbalance to the self-indulgent commercialism of the Christmas season
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to offset
to balance with an equal force so as to make ineffective
a hearty dinner might counterbalance missing lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterbalance
Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025
According to the filing, the robot allegedly activated without warning and pinned him to the ground with roughly 8,000 lbs of counterbalance weight.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025
The pastel counterbalances the darker and mid-tones in the forecast.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterbalance
Noun
With grocery bills, childcare expenses and other household costs climbing, partly due to ongoing tariff impacts, the cooling rental market provides a modest but meaningful counterbalance.
—Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025
According to the filing, the robot allegedly activated without warning and pinned him to the ground with roughly 8,000 lbs of counterbalance weight.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
First described by Albert Einstein in 1917, the constant was originally a coefficient intended to counterbalance gravitational force in a static universe.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025
The pastel counterbalances the darker and mid-tones in the forecast.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterbalance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterbalance
Noun
-
The calendar, which is printed on carbon offset paper with vegetable inks, features a different rescue dog each month, each with their own survival story and wearing their own fabulous fascinator.—
Monique Jessen,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The bottom line is that when the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates, borrowing costs generally will come down; however, the offset is that the rate of return for checking and savings accounts will fall.—
Kevin Cerveny,
Kansas City Star,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In coffee, a small amount of salt can neutralize bitterness by affecting certain taste receptors on the tongue without masking flavor the way sugar and cream can.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
This old remedy does not chemically neutralize the odor, says Mengak.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Living on the counter-plantation, or the lakou, involves relying upon small-scale landholding to resist the oppressions of the traditional plantation, the factory, and more recently, the industrial farm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Habanero Cafe features attentive servers who take your order at your table, but payment happens at the counter in the front foyer.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
His teachers corrected his posture and his hands; the angle of the arms and the way the wrist releases into the top of the drum, or drum head which usually is made from animal skin.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Oct. 2025
-
This story has been updated to correct the officer's rank.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Its improved flexibility, joint control, and mechanical balance enable it to mimic human movement more closely than ever before.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Warm yet breathable, polo sweaters strike the ideal balance for fall weather.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Some of these values—such as a disciplined commitment to physical fitness—are good and, in my opinion, necessary correctives to the enervating distractions of 21st-century living.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The 2025 College Rankings from Washington Monthly offer a corrective.—
Bruno V. Manno,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to the outlets, the pair heard a loud bang and the elevator cabin jammed before eventually falling down the shaft, along with a number of concrete counterweights.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Amid the churn in Europe and globally, with trenchant nationalism on the rise, and a war raging in Ukraine just 1,200 miles from the palace, many might say that having a hereditary royal as their head of state offers some reassuring continuity, acting as a counterweight to political upheaval.—
Vivienne Walt,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterbalance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterbalance. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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