as in counter
a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective
the belief that higher interest rates are an effective counterforce to inflationary pressures
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of counterforce
Corporate volunteering may offer a counterforce to the disillusionment, anxiety, loneliness, and apathy that define much of modern life.
—
Michael Sheldrick, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Or maybe fast-food chains did streamline their business processes with the help of new technologies, but at the same time, maybe there were productivity-sucking counterforces.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025
History shows that autocratic states like Russia are only deterred by a strong counterforce from a rival that balances it and threatens its survival.
—William Walldorf, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Achieving peace in Gaza will therefore require a counterforce to Israel’s domestic political pressures.
—Eric Levitz, Vox, 3 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for counterforce
Michael Sheldrick, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Or maybe fast-food chains did streamline their business processes with the help of new technologies, but at the same time, maybe there were productivity-sucking counterforces.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025
History shows that autocratic states like Russia are only deterred by a strong counterforce from a rival that balances it and threatens its survival.
—William Walldorf, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
Achieving peace in Gaza will therefore require a counterforce to Israel’s domestic political pressures.
—Eric Levitz, Vox, 3 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for counterforce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterforce
Noun
-
Squeeze a drop of shampoo onto a damp cloth or towel to wipe away greasy cooking debris from whatever surface was hit, including the counter, stovetop, or backsplash.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Swift’s flawless blowout, worn tucked behind her ears, is elegant, lovely, and luxurious, offering a full-circle counter to her debut curls.—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Under the Daylight Act, the time zone UTC offsets would be changed to half-hour increments rather than hours.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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Critics have long warned that weak oversight, inflated claims and poor benefit-sharing have eroded trust in offset programs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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If using a front-load or top-load washer, add some white bath towels to help keep the washer from becoming off-balance.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
17 Feb. 2026
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Since there are far too many variables that go into a knife’s design—handle shape, blade shape, weight, balance, material, and so on— determining which knife is the best knife is fundamentally impossible.—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Young Hoteliers Academy positions itself as a corrective.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
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His most ambitious series to date, Pluribus can be seen as a corrective of sorts—a grand, artful, mind-bendingly philosophical, darkly funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but consistently humane vindication of our fractious species.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterforce. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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