countermand 1 of 2

verb

Definition of countermandnext
as in to overturn
formal to cancel (an order) especially by giving a new order Orders to blow up the bridge were countermanded.

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countermand

2 of 2

noun

1
as in veto

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2
as in mandate

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of countermand
Verb
Advertisement But the Secretary General cannot countermand the nations. — Mark Webber, Time, 24 July 2026 Another said Trump is countermanding the Pentagon, which had made a decision without presidential approval. — Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025 Trump’s Achilles’ heel, where his policies may yet be countermanded by the judicial branch, are his arbitrary tariffs, having their root in a delegation as broad as that for FDR’s National Recovery Administration. — George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025 What remains will be countermanded at the next change in power, the countermander then adding his or her new round of decrees, and on and on. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for countermand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for countermand
  1. overturn
  2. veto
  3. mandate
  4. cancel
  5. override
  6. rule
  7. revoke
  8. overruling
Verb
  • Rengifo came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the second inning after Tatis challenged a strike call that was overturned for a walk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Ominously, the order pledges federal pressure, including from the Justice Department, to push states into overturning their own vaccine mandates.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of overturn
Noun
  • Bill 26-0191 changes the veto and override time requirements for the budget and other bills by providing the council more time to potentially override a mayoral veto, thus giving more power to the council.
    — Joseph Landers, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans have held at least two-thirds of House and Senate seats for 14 years, giving them the ability to override a veto from the governor.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of veto
Noun
  • Will blue state legislators and governors protect them from its attempt at more governmental control over institutions, while red state policy makers embrace its far-reaching restrictions and mandates?
    — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There are exceptions—most notably, the 2012 Obamacare ruling, when Roberts angered conservatives by finding a convoluted way to determine that the individual insurance mandate was constitutional.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of mandate
Verb
  • The warrants were canceled a day later following an arraignment.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • At early voting sites and on Election Day, a voter can hand in and cancel their vote-by-mail ballot at the polls and vote with a regular ballot instead.
    — Ruth Abramovitz, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of cancel
Noun
  • Despite some unclear programming instructions and the lack of a manual override, the new blinds are quiet, effectively block light, and provide a clean aesthetic, prompting consideration for more throughout the house.
    — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But over the past few months, investors have started questioning whether valuations have run ahead of the defense industry's ability to ramp up, amid ever-growing order books in an industry known for delays and cost overrides.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of override
Noun
  • So what if the credulous smallfolk now believe that the Usurper’s rule is ordained by the Gods?
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Russian leader, Dickinson says, might be convinced that if a democratic system were allowed to take hold in Russia, that could mark the end of Putin’s rule and perhaps even the break-up of the Russian Federation.
    — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of rule
Verb
  • In January, major grain traders withdrew from the soy moratorium, which helped slash deforestation over its nearly two decades in effect, after top soy-producing states passed bills revoking tax benefits for participating companies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, citizenship may be revoked if it was illegally procured or obtained through the concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation.
    — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of revoke
Noun
  • The appropriate remedy is congressional overruling of the Marquette case so as to allow the states to regulate loans to their own citizens.
    — George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2026
  • In recent years, the court’s conservative majority overruling of major, longstanding precedents has become a defining feature of Roberts’ tenure.
    — Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2025
Definition of overruling

Browse Nearby Words

counterintelligence
countermand
countermanded
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Cite this Entry

“Countermand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/countermand. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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