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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Dissimilar Words
1
as in veto
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in mandate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of countermand
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 June 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
Their instructions in effect countermanded the order of Mr. Musk across much of the government, challenging the broad authority President Trump has given the world’s richest man to make drastic changes to the federal bureaucracy.
—Chris Cameron, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
The concept of a deep state is valuable in its original context, the study of developing countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey, where shadowy elites in the military and government ministries have been known to countermand or simply defy democratic directives.
—Jon D. Michaels, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
See All Example Sentences for countermand
Verb
We also were concerned that if the anti-congestion pricing Donald Trump was returned to the White House, the tolls that began later on would be at a greater risk of being countermanded by Washington.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 June 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
Their instructions in effect countermanded the order of Mr. Musk across much of the government, challenging the broad authority President Trump has given the world’s richest man to make drastic changes to the federal bureaucracy.
—Chris Cameron, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
The concept of a deep state is valuable in its original context, the study of developing countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey, where shadowy elites in the military and government ministries have been known to countermand or simply defy democratic directives.
—Jon D. Michaels, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
See All Example Sentences for countermand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for countermand
Verb
-
Potential amendments could include establishing equal rights for women, abolishing the Electoral College, overturning Citizens United, and banning gerrymandering.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Shortly after, troopers learned that the vehicle lost control while exiting I-84 at Exit 74, left the roadway, hit a tree stump and overturned, according to state police.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
To become Florida law, bills need to survive committee hearings, pass votes in the House and Senate and avoid the governor’s veto pen.—
Ryan Ballogg,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Congress attempted to rein in that authority after the Vietnam War with the War Powers Resolution, passed over Republican President Richard Nixon’s veto.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance Paul Craney wasn’t having it, saying high utility bills in Massachusetts are the fault of Healey’s policies and the state’s NetZero by 2050 climate mandate, which favors solar, wind and battery power over natural gas.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Their mandate now includes ensuring business continuity, operational confidence, and rapid recovery across complex digital environments.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That band faces a similar situation as Mariachi Joya Azteca, with at least two major events canceled in 2025.—
Juan Cordoba,
Arkansas Online,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The Anker 737 Power Bank keeps multiple devices running and charging, from your phone to your noise-canceling headphones, without weighing down your bag.—
Claire Gallam,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That was demonstrated this week by a pair of unsuccessful House veto override votes in which most GOP members stuck with the president despite previously voting for the low-profile bills.—
Stephen Groves,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
-
On the Colorado bill, 35 Republicans sided with Democrats in voting for an override -- with all members of the state's delegation from both parties supporting an override.—
Kevin Freking,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The issue of digital sovereignty and the ability of nations to control the deployment of technology across borders was a hot topic, with leaders warning that divergent rules and governance models risk stalling innovation and stifling growth.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
While reading a Regency romance, the social rules a woman was forced to live by seem almost silly to our modern sensibilities.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While multiple sources familiar with the holiday events deny online rumors that Mar-a-Lago threatened to revoke the memberships of guests who took photos of Barron over the holidays, insiders tell PEOPLE that there's an unspoken rule about how to treat the most private member of the first family.—
Linda Marx,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Colbert was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Orleans Parish in May, after a judge revoked her probation in a similar but unrelated case.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
Cite this Entry
“Countermand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/countermand. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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