COUNTERMAND Synonyms: 164 Similar and Opposite Words

countermand 1 of 2

verb

Definition of countermand

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

as in veto

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as in mandate

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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

Late in May, the Attorney General of Thailand dropped the charges, countermanding the police. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Feb. 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

Verb

However, this theory has also been challenged by physicists who argue that the force of methane bubbles is unlikely to be powerful enough to overturn a ship.

— Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026
The referee pointed straight to the spot and there was no chance the video assistant referee (VAR) was going to overturn it.

— Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Definition of overturn

Noun

Passed on a unanimous tally of 49-0 (two members missed the roll call) means a Mamdani veto would have zero chance of being sustained.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026
As a 10-year veteran who has played the past five consecutive years with the same team, Lindor holds veto power over any potential trade.

— Will Sammon, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of veto

Noun

Every time a new policy mandate lands, a state agency opens a new vendor contract.

— Brian Chidester, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Advertisement Leaders who rise to this moment will be those who treat AI not as a headline, but as a mandate to redesign how their organizations—and their people—work.

— Nigel Vaz, Time, 20 July 2026

Definition of mandate

Verb

With trips canceled and his shop in Ely low on traffic, his roughly 60 employees, many of them seasonal, are out of work.

— Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2026
Some investors fear that if viewership is down, subscribers could cancel the service, which would negatively affect the platform’s growing advertising business.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of cancel

Noun

Ensure your reviewer's performance evaluation reflects override decisions, not just throughput.

— Tiffany Archer, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Republican leaders in the House and Senate failed to muster the votes to enact the bill into law over Kelly’s veto, and no override attempt was made.

— Matthew Kelly Updated June 25, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026

Definition of override

Noun

According to the laws of the game, the break between halves should be no longer than 15 minutes but FIFA has been quite vague about the rules for this particular tournament.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
That allowed Max Muncy to work a walk against Jake Bird, who then surrendered a single to Kyle Tucker, an RBI ground-rule double to Teoscar Hernández, a walk to Dalton Rushing, a two-run single to Edman, and an RBI single to Ohtani.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026

Definition of rule

Verb

Censorship occurs when the government tries to revoke the green cards of people whose views its biggest donors would prefer not to hear.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026
Instead, Judge Kiley Stuchlik, of Idaho’s 3rd Judicial District, on Tuesday revoked Andrea Renee Shaw’s $2 million bond — leaving the young mother behind bars.

— Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 14 July 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

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“Countermand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/countermand. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of countermand

verb

noun

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